JAIPUR: Jagdeep Dhankhar is the second leader from Rajasthan after Bhairon Singh Shekhawat to get elected the vice-president of India.
With the election of Dhankhar, a Jat leader who belongs to Jhunjhunu district, now both the lower and upper houses of Parliament will be presided over by leaders from Rajasthan.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is also from Rajasthan. He represents Kota-Bundi parliamentary constituency of the state.
In Jhunjhunu’s Kithana village, everyone from women to men and children to the elderly were present at Dhankhar’s house and danced in celebration of his victory. People distributed sweets in the entire village.
Celebrations also took place at the state BJP headquarters in Jaipur where people danced to the beats of dhols and distributed sweets.
Chief minister Ashok Gehlot congratulated Dhankhar on his victory.
“Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar on being elected the vice-president of India. People of Rajasthan are happy that Shri Dhankhar has become the second vice-president from Rajasthan after Bhairon Singh Shekhawat ji,” Gehlot tweeted.
“Hearty congratulations to the pride of Rajasthan, eminent lawmaker and farmer son Shri Jagdeep Dhankharji on being elected as the vice-president,” Deputy Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Rajendra Rathore, tweeted. With the election of Shri Jagdeepji to the second highest post of the country, the value of common Rajasthani has increased, he added.
Other leaders also congratulated Dhankhar.
Earlier, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat held the office as the 11th vice-president from August 2002 to July 2007.
Villages of both Shekhawat and Dhankhar are in Shekhawati region, which comprises Sikar, Jhunjhunu and nearby areas.
While Rajput leader Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, also a former chief minister of Rajasthan, was from Khachariyawas village in Sikar district, Dhankhar is from Jhunjhunu’s Kithana village.
Sources in the BJP believe that the elevation of Dhankhar would help in increasing the party base in the Jat community and among farmers.
The community has a considerable influence on nearly 40 out of 200 assembly seats in the state where assembly elections are due later next year.
“This will certainly help in increasing party support in the community in Rajasthan as well as in Haryana,” a BJP leader said.
However, Congress leaders say that there will be no political impact of a Jat leader becoming the vice-president.
“The BJP is not going to have any political advantage because people are suffering under the BJP rule at the Centre and they would vote against the BJP in next elections. Issues like inflation and unemployment would dominate the elections,” state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra said.
With the election of Dhankhar, a Jat leader who belongs to Jhunjhunu district, now both the lower and upper houses of Parliament will be presided over by leaders from Rajasthan.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is also from Rajasthan. He represents Kota-Bundi parliamentary constituency of the state.
In Jhunjhunu’s Kithana village, everyone from women to men and children to the elderly were present at Dhankhar’s house and danced in celebration of his victory. People distributed sweets in the entire village.
Celebrations also took place at the state BJP headquarters in Jaipur where people danced to the beats of dhols and distributed sweets.
Chief minister Ashok Gehlot congratulated Dhankhar on his victory.
“Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar on being elected the vice-president of India. People of Rajasthan are happy that Shri Dhankhar has become the second vice-president from Rajasthan after Bhairon Singh Shekhawat ji,” Gehlot tweeted.
“Hearty congratulations to the pride of Rajasthan, eminent lawmaker and farmer son Shri Jagdeep Dhankharji on being elected as the vice-president,” Deputy Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Rajendra Rathore, tweeted. With the election of Shri Jagdeepji to the second highest post of the country, the value of common Rajasthani has increased, he added.
Other leaders also congratulated Dhankhar.
Earlier, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat held the office as the 11th vice-president from August 2002 to July 2007.
Villages of both Shekhawat and Dhankhar are in Shekhawati region, which comprises Sikar, Jhunjhunu and nearby areas.
While Rajput leader Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, also a former chief minister of Rajasthan, was from Khachariyawas village in Sikar district, Dhankhar is from Jhunjhunu’s Kithana village.
Sources in the BJP believe that the elevation of Dhankhar would help in increasing the party base in the Jat community and among farmers.
The community has a considerable influence on nearly 40 out of 200 assembly seats in the state where assembly elections are due later next year.
“This will certainly help in increasing party support in the community in Rajasthan as well as in Haryana,” a BJP leader said.
However, Congress leaders say that there will be no political impact of a Jat leader becoming the vice-president.
“The BJP is not going to have any political advantage because people are suffering under the BJP rule at the Centre and they would vote against the BJP in next elections. Issues like inflation and unemployment would dominate the elections,” state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra said.