How Is the Vice President of India Elected? Know the Complete Process

National News: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has resigned from his post, citing health reasons. He has submitted his resignation letter to the President of India. This development came on the very first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. As the Vice President is also the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, his resignation has raised important questions about the election of the next Vice President.

Who Votes in the Vice Presidential Election?

The election for the Vice President is conducted by an electoral college consisting of members from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Unlike the Presidential election, members of state legislative assemblies do not participate.

Interestingly, nominated members of the Rajya Sabha are also eligible to vote in this election.

Total Electors:

• Lok Sabha: 543 members
• Rajya Sabha: 245 members (including 12 nominated members)
• Total: 788 Members of Parliament

Who Can Contest the Election?

As per the Indian Constitution, any Indian citizen meeting the following conditions is eligible to contest:

• Must be a citizen of India
• Must be at least 35 years old
• Must be eligible to be elected as a Rajya Sabha member
• Must deposit a security amount of ₹15,000 along with the nomination papers
• If the candidate fails to secure at least one-sixth of the total votes, the deposit is forfeited

How Is the Election Conducted?

The election of the Vice President is held through a proportional representation system using the single transferable vote method.

• Every MP gets one vote.
• Voters mark their preference on the ballot paper—1 for their first choice, 2 for the second, and so on.
• For example, if there are three candidates—A, B, and C—a voter can write 1 next to A, 2 next to B, and 3 next to C based on their order of preference.
• The vote counting is done in rounds, and the candidate who crosses the required quota first is declared elected.

What Happens After Being Elected?

The Vice President of India is not a member of either House of Parliament or any state legislature. If a person who is already a member of any such House gets elected as Vice President, they are considered to have vacated their seat from the day they assume the office of Vice President.

Important Note:

The election process is conducted by the Election Commission of India, and the voting is done through secret ballot. This ensures the independence and fairness of the election.

Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation has created a constitutional vacancy that must now be filled promptly. The Election Commission is expected to announce the election schedule soon, as per Article 68 of the Constitution, which mandates that the vacancy must be filled as early as possible.