West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who was declared the NDA’s candidate for Vice-President on Saturday, has had a career in public life that stretches to over three decades. He had been a lawyer in the Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court, was elected MP from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan on a Janata Dal ticket in 1989, and an MLA in Rajasthan in 1993. He was also Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs at the Centre in 1990.
Worked out of the box
He was described as “ kisan putra” (son of a farmer) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and as someone who worked out of the box to be the “People’s Governor” in West Bengal, by BJP president J.P. Nadda. In choosing Mr. Dhankar, 71, as their pick for the post of Vice-President of India, a role that also includes being the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, both these qualities seem to have worked in Mr. Dhankar’s favour — his humble background and gritty rise in public life and a pugnacious attitude within the fairly circumscribed role of state governor.
