BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s candidate for vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar, who has been described as a ‘kisan putra’ (son of a farmer) by the saffron party, has a lot more to offer than always someone . West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Prior to his current role as governor of the state, 71-year-old Dhankhar has been a noted lawyer, was instrumental in securing OBC status to Jats in Rajasthan and loves to beat his own desi-style.
According to various official accounts, he used to walk 4-5 kms to a government school when he was in class 6, has also been a cricketer and a keen student of spirituality and meditation.
His nomination will also mean that the presiding officers of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will be from Rajasthan, one of the only two states currently ruled by governments, which coincidentally go to polls next year.
Announcing his name for the Vice Presidential election, BJP President JP Nadda said Dhankhar has been in public life for almost three decades and described the Jat leader as a ‘farmer’s son’.
Interestingly, the last All India meeting of the RSS was also held in Jhunjhunu, Dhankhar’s native place.
Like most Jat leaders of his time, Dhankhar was originally associated with Devi Lal and his political career began to flourish when, as a young lawyer at the time, he was nominated by Lal as the opposition candidate from Jhunjhunu parliamentary constituency in 1989. had chosen. Congress stronghold, and he won.
He followed his mentor Devilal when the latter walked out of the VP Singh government and became a Union minister in the minority government led by Chandrashekhar in 1990.
When PV Narasimha Rao became the Prime Minister, he joined the Congress and Devi Lal was no longer as influential. But with the rise of Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan politics, he switched to the BJP and is said to soon become close to Vasundhara Raje. But, his political career was soon to take a big hit and he focused more on his legal career for more than a decade.
In July 2019, he was appointed as the Governor of West Bengal and since then he has been regularly in the news, often taking on the Chief Minister of the state at every opportunity.
NADA said that Dhankhar’s life story reflects the spirit of New India – which is overcoming innumerable social and economic obstacles and achieving its goals.
Born in a remote village in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan to a farmer family, he completed his schooling from Sainik School, Chittorgarh. After completing his graduation in Physics, he pursued LLB from University of Rajasthan and practiced in both the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court of India.
After being elected MP from Jhunjhunu in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections, he served as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs in 1990. In 1993, he was elected to the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from Kishangarh constituency in Ajmer district.
He is also known to be an avid reader and a sports lover and has been the President of the Rajasthan Olympic Association and the Rajasthan Tennis Association. He was involved in giving OBC status to other backward classes including Jat community in Rajasthan.