New Delhi: Jat leader from Rajasthan and West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar was announced as the ruling NDA’s Vice-Presidential candidate on Saturday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President JP Nadda hailing him as a ‘kisan putra’, son of a farmer.
Dhankar, who is the current governor of West Bengal, has made headlines on several occasions over the sparring between the Governor’s office and the Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee.
Recently, the West Bengal Governor had appealed to the members of the civil society and intellectuals to protest against the ongoing violence and corruption in the state.
A Jat from Rajasthan, the move is also being seen as an attempt to pull closer the Jat community, which will be significant player in upcoming elections in Rajasthan. The BJP had also been concerned over Jat community distancing from the party following the farmers’ protests, even as it swept constituencies like Agra, Mathura, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh polls.
Both Nadda and PM Modi stressed on his identity as ‘kisan putra’.
“Kisan Putra Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji is known for his humility. He brings with him an illustrious legal, legislative and gubernatorial career. He has always worked for the well-being of farmers, youth, women and the marginalised. Glad that he will be our VP candidate,” said PM Modi.
“Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji has excellent knowledge of our Constitution. He is also well-versed with legislative affairs. I am sure that he will be an outstanding Chair in the Rajya Sabha & guide the proceedings of the House with the aim of furthering national progress,” he said.
Nadda meanwhile said, “Kisan Putra Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar has been in public life for more Than three decades. Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar’s life story reflects the spirit of new India – overcoming innumerable social and economic hurdles and achieving one’s goals.”
He said Dhankar worked tirelessly to become a successful professional before entering public life.
Born in an agrarian household in a remote village in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district, Dhankhar completed his school education from Sainik School, Chittorgarh. After finishing his graduation in Physics, he
pursued LLB from the University of Rajasthan and went on to become one of the leading lawyers in Rajasthan. Dhankhar has practiced in both the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court of India.
He entered public life after getting elected as the Member of Parliament from Jhunjhunu in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections from Janata Dal.
He also served as a Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in 1990. In 1993, he was elected to the Rajasthan assembly from the Kishangarh constituency in Ajmer district.
In July 2019, he was appointed as the Governor of West Bengal.
The last date for filing nomination papers for the poll is July 19 and the election is scheduled for August 6.
