Jagdeep Dhankhar’s Resignation Triggers Jat Unrest in Rajasthan, Congress Steps In Amid BJP Silence
Former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation sparks unrest in Rajasthan’s Jat community, as Congress seizes political opportunity amid BJP silence.
NewsSutra
The sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar, India’s former Vice-President and a prominent Jat leader from Rajasthan, has stirred deep unrest within the state’s politically influential Jat community, setting off a wave of discontent, mobilizations, and heated political debate. While Dhankhar has not officially disclosed his reasons for stepping down, political observers suggest growing frustration with the BJP’s internal dynamics and alleged marginalization of regional leaders.
The development has opened up a sensitive fault line in Rajasthan politics, with the Congress Party quick to capitalize on the perceived leadership vacuum in the Jat belt, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) scrambles to manage optics and internal dissent.
A Resignation with Ripple Effects
Jagdeep Dhankhar, a seasoned politician and legal luminary, served as Vice-President of India from 2022 to 2025. He previously held the post of Governor of West Bengal and had been associated with the BJP for over two decades. His roots in Jhunjhunu district and deep connections with the Jat farming community earned him immense credibility in western Rajasthan.
On July 21, Dhankhar tendered his resignation, citing “personal reasons” and a desire to return to legal and academic pursuits. However, multiple senior political sources claim the resignation came after repeated differences with the BJP’s central leadership and a lack of meaningful involvement in policy decisions affecting Rajasthan.
“It’s not just a resignation. It’s a signal of disenchantment,” said a BJP insider familiar with Dhankhar’s internal communications.
Jat Community Reacts: Protests and Political Anger
Within hours of the news breaking, Jat organizations across Rajasthan, particularly in Nagaur, Sikar, Jhunjhunu, and Bikaner, began organizing protests and candlelight marches, accusing the BJP of “neglecting one of the state’s tallest sons.” Several local leaders, cutting across party lines, expressed shock over what they termed “institutional disrespect” towards Dhankhar.
The Jat Mahasabha, a key socio-political organization, released a statement condemning the political environment that led to Dhankhar’s exit and demanded greater representation in both state and central politics.
“If a leader of Jagdeep Dhankhar’s stature can be sidelined, what hope is there for ordinary Jat voices?” said Mahasabha president Ratan Ram Jakhar.
This wave of dissatisfaction has coincided with growing anger over issues such as agrarian distress, OBC reservation quotas, and youth unemployment, especially in Jat-dominated districts. Many believe Dhankhar’s exit symbolizes a larger pattern of marginalization faced by the community under the BJP’s current leadership structure.
BJP’s Measured Response: Silence or Strategy?
The BJP’s response so far has been muted, with no senior central leader issuing a statement. Party insiders suggest that the leadership is treading cautiously to avoid inflaming caste tensions in an already polarized political landscape.
Rajasthan BJP president C.P. Joshi, when asked about Dhankhar’s resignation, offered a brief comment: “We respect his decision and his service to the nation. Beyond that, it’s a personal matter.”
However, this silence is being interpreted as indifference, especially by political opponents. Several district-level BJP leaders have privately expressed concern that the party has failed to protect its image among traditional Jat voters, a demographic it heavily relied on in the 2019 and 2023 general elections.
Congress Moves Swiftly: A Calculated Opportunity
Unlike the BJP, the Congress Party has wasted no time in stepping into the vacuum. Senior Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot, himself from the Gujjar community, has reached out to Jat leaders across western Rajasthan, calling Dhankhar’s resignation “a reflection of how BJP treats its senior leaders.”
Pilot, along with state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra, visited Jhunjhunu and held closed-door meetings with Jat sarpanches, youth leaders, and cooperative heads, assuring them that their concerns would be represented if Congress were voted back to power in the 2026 state assembly elections.
“We have always believed in inclusive politics. Marginalizing a community that has served this nation, its farms, and its defense forces is unacceptable,” Pilot said in a public rally.
Congress is also reportedly preparing to field prominent Jat candidates in key constituencies and could even consider naming a Jat CM face for the upcoming election—an idea gaining traction within the party’s Rajasthan unit.
For political analysis on Congress’s strategic outreach, readers may refer to this in-depth report from The Hindu’s political affairs desk.
Electoral Implications for Rajasthan 2026
Rajasthan’s Jat community accounts for nearly 10–12% of the state’s population and holds considerable influence in over 70 assembly constituencies. Traditionally, the Jat vote has oscillated between the BJP and the Congress, depending on the leadership dynamics and candidate selection.
In recent years, the BJP has faced criticism for neglecting Jat leadership, with no major cabinet portfolio being assigned to a Jat leader at the central level. Dhankhar’s appointment as Vice-President in 2022 was seen as a corrective step. His resignation now risks reversing the goodwill the BJP earned through that gesture.
With rural distress continuing and farm union sentiment shifting, analysts believe Jat voters may tilt away from the BJP if the party fails to address their grievances decisively in the coming months.
Civil Society and Youth Voices Weigh In
What makes the current unrest particularly potent is the emergence of youth voices and civil society activists, many of whom are taking to social media and local panchayat forums to demand better political representation, education infrastructure, and economic empowerment in Jat-dominated areas.
Several student leaders from Maharaja Surajmal College (Jhunjhunu) and Jat College (Hisar) have planned a symbolic protest in Jaipur next week, urging both state and national parties to end tokenism and promote grassroots leaders.
“This isn’t about one man. It’s about years of systematic erasure of our contribution to Rajasthan’s progress,” said Ravi Jakhar, a law student from Bikaner University.
Possible Realignments and Independent Movements
There is also speculation that Dhankhar may float a regional political platform or align with like-minded leaders to raise issues affecting the agrarian and OBC communities in northern India.
While Dhankhar has not made any political announcements, his resignation timing—just over a year before the Rajasthan elections—has raised eyebrows.
If such a realignment materializes, it could significantly fracture the BJP’s traditional vote bank and inject new unpredictability into the 2026 state polls.
For a closer look at emerging regional parties in Rajasthan, explore this explainer on grassroots politics by Scroll.in.
Conclusion
Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation has created far more than a constitutional vacancy—it has reopened deep socio-political wounds in Rajasthan and reignited caste-driven grievances that national parties had long sought to manage, not resolve.
As protests spread and public sentiment intensifies, the coming weeks will test the BJP’s ability to manage damage control, Congress’s aptitude to transform empathy into votes, and Dhankhar’s own political choices in a deeply fractured landscape.
What is clear, however, is that the Jat community is watching—closely, emotionally, and politically—and any misstep now could dramatically alter the trajectory of Rajasthan’s political future.
