Former Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, who stepped down from his post on July 22 citing health reasons, has now applied for a pension in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. Since his resignation, Dhankhar has largely stayed away from public appearances and has not issued any personal statement. His pension request marks the first formal application made by him after leaving office.

The Assembly Secretariat has already begun the process of reviewing his application. Dhankhar was earlier a member of the 10th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, having won the 1993 elections from the Kishangarh constituency in Ajmer district on a Congress ticket. Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani confirmed that the application has been received and action is underway. He also mentioned that while Dhankhar has applied for pension, he has not yet submitted any request to the department regarding official residence.

Under Rajasthan’s pension rules, former MLAs receive Rs 35,000 per month. Additionally, those above the age of 70 get a 20% increase, while those over 80 get 30% more. Since Dhankhar is currently 74 years old, he is eligible for around Rs 42,000 per month with the additional 20% pension benefit.

Throughout his political career, Dhankhar has held several significant positions. He was elected as a Janata Dal MP from Jhunjhunu between 1989 and 1991, later became an MLA from Kishangarh in 1993 on a Congress ticket, and went on to serve as the Governor of West Bengal from 2019 to 2022. He then assumed the office of Vice President of India in 2022, a position he held until his resignation in 2025.

While his resignation sparked political debate and questions from the opposition, Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently reiterated that Dhankhar stepped down solely due to health concerns.