India Set For New Vice President As Election Commission Begins Process After Jagdeep Dhankhar’s Resignation

National New: Vice President Election India: Two days after Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden resignation from the post of Vice President of India, the Election Commission on Wednesday officially announced the start of the process of electing the next Vice President. According to the rules, the vice president must be elected as soon as possible. Dhankhar has vacated this constitutional post with two years remaining of his five-year term. At the same time, his successor will get a full five-year term, not just a two-year term.

The Election Commission said in a press note issued on July 23 that the Home Ministry has duly noted Dhankhar's resignation and now 'the election schedule will be announced as soon as possible.' The preparations to be done before the election include the establishment of the electoral college of Members of Parliament and the determination of returning officers.

Potential Vice President Candidates

So far three or four names are being discussed on the question of who will be the new vice president in place of Dhankhar. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is also prominent among them. But due to assembly elections in Bihar at the end of this year, political circles believe that 74-year-old Nitish may have to give an opportunity to young leaders to move forward in his party.

New Names Spark Buzz

Apart from this, the names of Jammu and Kashmir's Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Delhi's Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena are also in discussion. After this, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh's name is also included in the list of potential candidates. While holding the post of Vice President, he is also the Chairman of Rajya Sabha. After Dhankhar's resignation, Harivansh is currently discharging this responsibility because the monsoon session of Parliament is going on.

Dhankhar’s Resignation Sparks Stir

Former minister and governor Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post of vice president, citing health reasons, leaving the country's second-highest constitutional post vacant. He took this step just a few hours after the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament. Opposition parties have raised questions on both the timing and reason for his resignation. The opposition says that there was no indication during his tenure that he wanted to resign. Apart from this, the opposition also accused Dhankhar of being biased in favor of the government and even talked about impeachment.