Wilder speculation has even dredged up such names as veteran BJP leader and two-time Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia and long-time RSS man Sanjay Joshi, both well-known antagonists of PM Modi.

Dhankhar, a seasoned lawyer, had previously served as West Bengal Governor and parliamentary affairs minister before becoming vice-president in August 2022, winning with a resounding 74.4 per cent vote margin. He is remembered for reforming Rajya Sabha proceedings, including his efforts to amplify women’s representation, even as his tenure was marked by frequent clashes with Opposition MPs thanks to his overwhelming bias towards the treasury benches, and his out-of-line criticism of what he saw as judicial overreach.

As he vacates the official residence, per pension norms, Dhankhar will relocate to a Type VIII government bungalow in Lutyens’ Delhi and receive a pension of 50 per cent of his salary, along with other continuing benefits.

What began as a private matter of health has snowballed into a political spectacle. The silence surrounding Dhankhar has engendered uneasy comparisons with a thriller, blurring the line between individual privacy and public interest.

Until the government or Dhankhar himself breaks the silence, both the political establishment and public are left in the dark — watching closely, waiting for a signal, and wondering how quickly mystery may give way to disclosure.

With media and agency inputs