The National Democratic Alliance has nominated former West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as its candidate for the post of Vice President. .Dhankhar, a Senior Advocate, was actively into law practice before he took the plunge into politics. .After graduating in law from the Rajasthan University, Dhankhar started his legal career in the year 1979 at the Jaipur Bench of Rajasthan High Court.Dhankhar came to be elected as the youngest President of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association in the year 1987.He was later elected as a Member of the Rajasthan Bar Council in the year 1988.In the 11th year of his legal practice he was designated a Senior Advocate by the Rajasthan High Court..Dhankhar was elected to the 9th Lok Sabha from Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu constituency in 1989. He then shifted his law practice to the Supreme Court of India. He also had a three-year stint as a member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris, where he dealt with varied human resource issues and and commercial matters..I think it was destined. It was never a plan.Jagdeep Dhankhar on entry into politics.According to Dhankhar, he was a reluctant entrant into politics."The jump in the political arena was sudden in the year 1989 (the entire country was in the throes of the so-called ‘Bofors Scandal’) when I was offered to contest from the Jhunjhunu Parliamentary Constituency," he told Bar & Bench in 2020. Politics, he added, was the last thing on his mind. "Though my family is deeply involved with politics, I never thought I’d take a dip in it. In retrospect, I think it was destined. It was never a plan. I never entertained the thought of taking the political plunge. Some find it hard to digest that I was a ‘reluctant politician’, given that I have been an MP, an MLA as also a Union Minister. My heart was never in politics," he said..Not all functions of a Governor are to be performed with 'the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers'.Jagdeep Dhankhar .He was appointed Governor of West Bengal in July 2019 and has been in the news due to the frequent open disagreements between him and the Chief Minister of the State, Mamata Banerjee.Banerjee has accused him of being more critical of the ruling party than a BJP Spokesperson. Dhankhar has, however, maintained that he has never gone beyond Constitutional prescriptions and limitations. "Personally, for me, I have so far not and would never go beyond Constitutional limitations and prescriptions....It is easy to level allegations against the Governor that he is unduly attached to a political party. I have indicated to one and all to point out a single instance that may justify such a conclusion," he said.Interestingly, he also underlined that Governor is a not a mere ceremonial head."Constitutional prescriptions call upon the Governor to perform a variety of tasks, and not all are to be performed with 'the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers'. Several functions are in the realm of 'discretion'," he opined.I have no doubt that the Governor is not a stakeholder in the politics of the State but surely has high stakes in its governance, he added..Read full interview here.
The National Democratic Alliance has nominated former West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as its candidate for the post of Vice President. .Dhankhar, a Senior Advocate, was actively into law practice before he took the plunge into politics. .After graduating in law from the Rajasthan University, Dhankhar started his legal career in the year 1979 at the Jaipur Bench of Rajasthan High Court.Dhankhar came to be elected as the youngest President of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association in the year 1987.He was later elected as a Member of the Rajasthan Bar Council in the year 1988.In the 11th year of his legal practice he was designated a Senior Advocate by the Rajasthan High Court..Dhankhar was elected to the 9th Lok Sabha from Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu constituency in 1989. He then shifted his law practice to the Supreme Court of India. He also had a three-year stint as a member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris, where he dealt with varied human resource issues and and commercial matters..I think it was destined. It was never a plan.Jagdeep Dhankhar on entry into politics.According to Dhankhar, he was a reluctant entrant into politics."The jump in the political arena was sudden in the year 1989 (the entire country was in the throes of the so-called ‘Bofors Scandal’) when I was offered to contest from the Jhunjhunu Parliamentary Constituency," he told Bar & Bench in 2020. Politics, he added, was the last thing on his mind. "Though my family is deeply involved with politics, I never thought I’d take a dip in it. In retrospect, I think it was destined. It was never a plan. I never entertained the thought of taking the political plunge. Some find it hard to digest that I was a ‘reluctant politician’, given that I have been an MP, an MLA as also a Union Minister. My heart was never in politics," he said..Not all functions of a Governor are to be performed with 'the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers'.Jagdeep Dhankhar .He was appointed Governor of West Bengal in July 2019 and has been in the news due to the frequent open disagreements between him and the Chief Minister of the State, Mamata Banerjee.Banerjee has accused him of being more critical of the ruling party than a BJP Spokesperson. Dhankhar has, however, maintained that he has never gone beyond Constitutional prescriptions and limitations. "Personally, for me, I have so far not and would never go beyond Constitutional limitations and prescriptions....It is easy to level allegations against the Governor that he is unduly attached to a political party. I have indicated to one and all to point out a single instance that may justify such a conclusion," he said.Interestingly, he also underlined that Governor is a not a mere ceremonial head."Constitutional prescriptions call upon the Governor to perform a variety of tasks, and not all are to be performed with 'the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers'. Several functions are in the realm of 'discretion'," he opined.I have no doubt that the Governor is not a stakeholder in the politics of the State but surely has high stakes in its governance, he added..Read full interview here.
