Namo 'endorses' Vice President Dhankhar's resignation .... says - " Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji has got many opportunities to serve our country"

 "Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji has got many opportunities to serve our country in various capacities, including as the Vice President of India. Wishing him good health," tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He also wrote in Hindi:

श्री जगदीप धनखड़ जी को भारत के उपराष्ट्रपति सहित कई भूमिकाओं में देश की सेवा करने का अवसर मिला है। मैं उनके उत्तम स्वास्थ्य की कामना करता हूं।

President Droupadi Murmu on July 22 accepted Dhankhar's resignation and the President' Office has forwarded the same to the Home Ministry for official notification.

Dhankhar took over as 14th Vice President of India in August 2022 and was expected to serve a five-year term till August 2027. 

His resignation, which also means stepping down as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, came on the opening day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.

The missive from the Prime Minister makes it amply clear ... Namo 'endorses' Vice President Dhankhar's resignation 

Jagdeep Dhankhar had started his political career in Congress and then had joined the Janata Dal at a later stage. In recent times he moved closer to the BJP central leadership especially as a Jat leader considered enjoying good working rapport with Home Minister Amit Shah. 

In fact, as the season for making Dhankhar India's vice president had drawn closer another Jat politician Satya Pal Malik started developing differences with the BJP high command and a special bitterness with PM Narendra Modi and also Shah. 

Satya Pal Malik was a Rajnath Singh discovery from the Jat region of Uttar Pradesh and was Governor of Jammu and Kashmir between 23ed August, 2018 and 30th October 2019. Satya Pal Malik was the Governor in Srinagar in August 2019 when the much talked about Article 370 was abrogated. 

Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden announcement of resignation and Congress leaders including Pramod Tiwari and Jairam Ramesh showing new-found love for him is little puzzling.

Dhankhar had more often backed the Modi government on critical issues and also had embarrassed the Congress party more than once. 

In a letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, the 74-year-old Jagdeep Dhankhar said he was has decided to quit with 'immediate effect' to "prioritise healthcare" in line with medical advice.

Mr Dhankhar did have health issues in March this year.  

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh presided over the morning session on Tuesday in the absence of Jagdeep Dhankhar, who not only remained absent from the Upper House but is also unlikely to deliver his farewell speech.

Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden resignation has stunned the Opposition and triggered intense political chatter, with many questioning the official reason behind his exit. 

Hours before stepping down, Dhankhar was seen interacting with senior leaders, showing no signs of any health concerns or imminent plans to quit.

Reacting sharply, the Congress on Tuesday suggested that the reasons behind the Vice President's resignation run "far deeper" than the health issues.

"In a truly unprecedented move, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar has resigned. He has given health reasons for doing so — those should be respected. But it is also a fact that there are far deeper reasons for his resignation," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said. 

He is lately known for 'interpreting ideas' processed by Rahul Gandhi. 

Shashi Tharoor's isolation from the Congress command structure was also said to be works of Jairam and K C Venugopal. 

In political circle there is now speculation on successor for Jagdeep Dhankhar. Names being featured in some discussions are Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh - both former BJP national presidents. 

While Rajnath is known for 'no harm' methodology vis-a-vis 'Do badan - ek atma leadership'. Nitin Gadkari is known as a confidant of Nagpur and not quite friendly towards the political hegemony of Modi-Shah duo.

Now not only BJP national president; all eyes will be on who becomes India's next vice president. 

M Venkaiah Naidu may come back to the position he relinquished in 2022.  

There are also speculation about mega cabinet reshuffle and if social media is to be given any credence; even Congress leader Shashi Tharoor may make it big.  

This could be a move to elevate Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as the new Vice President so that Amit Shah could be made No. 2 in the cabinet and also designated as Deputy Prime Minister.  

This would bring an end to nationwide and also an international speculation on who would succeed PM Modi. 

Will the entire process (some truth and some speculated) ultimately help BJP finalise its new president?

Apparently, the RSS has vetoed the name of Union Minister(s) Dharmendra Pradhan and Bhupender Yadav. Both these ministers are also considered very close to Amit Shah.  

Vocal lawmaker from Jharkhand Nishikant Dubey recently threw a challenge to those who could be toying with the idea of retirement for Modi and said without Namo, the BJP's strength in 2029 elections could drop to 150.

Is RSS reconciling to the idea of again encouraging a regime led by Congress and supported by communists which had mooted the theory of 'saffron terror' ? 

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