BJP leader JP Nadda said on July 16 that West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar will represent the ruling NDA’s candidacy for Vice President of India. In a press conference, Nadda said, “After all considerations and consultations, we have decided to announce Kisan Putra (Farmer’s Son) Jagdeep Dhankhar as the BJP and NDA Vice Presidential Candidate.” He further added that Dhankhar had established himself as “ruler of the people”. The Governor of West Bengal has been associated with the Bhartiya Janata Party for almost two decades. According to sources, Mr. Dhankhar’s appointment will send a strong statement to the Jat community, to which he belongs, NDTV reported.

The choice was made during a parliamentary council meeting of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) held at the headquarters in Delhi. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and other senior officials attended the meeting.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his support for Dhankhar and said he had “excellent knowledge of the Constitution and legislative matters”.

After becoming governor in 2019, Mr Dhankhar frequently made headlines for his strained relationship with Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. TMC leaders called Dhankhar “communitarian” despite accusing the government of “extreme appeasement, communitarian patronage and extortion by mafia syndicates,” as NDTV reported.

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The party chose former BJP chairman and experienced lawmaker Mr. Venkaiah Naidu, who was then vice president as a cabinet minister, to be its running mate in 2017.

The deadline for nominations is July 19 and the election is scheduled for August 6.

(With agency contributions)

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