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Jagdeep Dhankhar Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth18 May 1951

Age74 Years

BirthplaceKithana, Jhunjhunu District, Rajasthan

ProfessionPolitician and Lawyer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseDr Sudesh Dhankhar

FamilyDaughter - Kamna Dhankhar; Parents - Chaudhary Gokal Chand and Kesari Devi; Siblings - Kuldeep Dhankhar, Randeep Dhankhar, Indra Dhankhar

Jagdeep Dhankhar Biography

Jagdeep Dhankhar is an Indian politician and lawyer who has served as Governor of West Bengal and as Vice‑President of India. His long public career spans

Early life and background

Chaudhary Jagdeep Dhankhar was born on 18 May 1951 in the village of Kithana in Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan. He grew up in his native region, attending the Government Primary School in Kithana and later Sainik School, Chittorgarh. He completed tertiary studies at Maharaja’s College, Jaipur and the University of Rajasthan, earning a B.Sc (Honours) in Physics and an LLB before beginning his career in the law.

Career

Dhankhar began practising as an advocate in Rajasthan after his enrolment with the Bar Council of Rajasthan in November 1979. Over the following decades he built a legal career that included appearing in the Supreme Court and representing cases across several high courts, with a focus on matters such as steel, coal, mining and international commercial arbitration. In 1987 he became president of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association, noted as the youngest person to hold that post at the time, and in March 1990 he was designated a senior advocate in the Rajasthan High Court, a position he held until 2019.

His formal entry into politics came in 1988 when he joined Janata Dal and successfully contested the 1989 Lok Sabha elections from Jhunjhunu, serving as a Member of Parliament until 1991. During that period he also took on responsibilities in government, including a brief stint as Union Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs in 1990 and chairing several parliamentary committees between January and May of that year.

Dhankhar resigned from parliament in 1991 and joined the Indian National Congress, moving into state politics in 1993 when he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Kishangarh in Rajasthan. He served as an MLA until 1998. In 2003 he changed his party affiliation to the Bharatiya Janata Party and later held party responsibilities such as serving on the BJP’s assembly election campaign committee and becoming national convener of the party’s law and legal affairs department.

In July 2019 Dhankhar was appointed Governor of West Bengal. As governor, he took on additional roles including chairmanship of the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre. His gubernatorial tenure was marked by repeated public disagreements with the state government on issues of administration and education policy, and several high-profile disputes with the state’s chief minister drew national attention.

In mid‑2022 the National Democratic Alliance selected him as its candidate for the vice‑presidency. He won the vice‑presidential election in August 2022 and took office as the 14th Vice‑President of India.

Public profile

Dhankhar’s public image is shaped by his dual background as a lawyer and politician. He has been described by some sources with the sobriquet "Kisan Putra" and is known for a style that mixes legal argumentation, parliamentary experience and outspoken commentary on governance. Throughout his time as governor he engaged publicly on matters related to higher education and administrative conduct in West Bengal, at times leading to contentious exchanges with the state government and university bodies.

Personal life

Jagdeep Dhankhar is married to Dr Sudesh Dhankhar, who holds a PhD in economics. The couple married in 1979 and have a daughter, Kamna Dhankhar. His parents are Chaudhary Gokal Chand and Kesari Devi. He belongs to a family that includes siblings Kuldeep Dhankhar, Randeep Dhankhar and Indra Dhankhar. Outside of work, he is known to enjoy travelling, meditation and reading and has travelled abroad with family to a number of countries.

Latest updates

In 2022 Dhankhar was selected by the NDA as its vice‑presidential candidate and assumed the vice‑presidential office in August of that year after winning the electoral contest. During and after his term as governor he continued to be involved in debates over university governance and state administration. In December 2024 members of the INDIA Alliance signalled their intention to bring a no‑confidence motion concerning his conduct as Vice‑President, citing disagreements about his management of house proceedings.
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Recent Work

Vice-President of India

Elected as the 14th Vice‑President of India and assumed office on 11 August 2022.

2022
Governor of West Bengal

Served as the 21st Governor of West Bengal from 30 July 2019 to 18 July 2022.

2019-2022
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Career Highlights

  1. Elected Member of Parliament from Jhunjhunu (1989–1991)
  2. Union Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs (1990)
  3. Member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from Kishangarh (1993–1998)
  4. President of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association (1987)
  5. Senior Advocate, Rajasthan High Court (1990–2019)
  6. 28th Governor of West Bengal (2019–2022)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Jagdeep Dhankhar born?

18 May 1951

What is Jagdeep Dhankhar known for?

Politician and Lawyer

What is Jagdeep Dhankhar’s marital status?

Married

Who is Jagdeep Dhankhar married to?

Dr Sudesh Dhankhar