The Election Commission has notified that the elections for the Vice President will be held on September 9. However, the notification for the election will be issued this month on August 7. As per the EC, the last date for filing nomination papers is August 21 and the results will be declared on the voting day itself.
This comes after former VP Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation mid-term on July 21. On Thursday, July 31, the EC finalised the electoral college list for the Vice-Presidential election left vacant after Dhankar’s exit. The polling body started the process last week by appointing Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha, PC Mody, as the Returning Officer.
How is the Indian Vice President elected?
The Indian Constitution mandated the Election Commission to conduct the election to the office of the Vice President of India under Article 324. The post is filled after an electoral college, with elected and nominated members of the Upper and Lower Houses, take the vote.
Rule 40 o the President and Vice-Presidential Election Rules, 1974 also mandates the ECI to prepare and maintain an updated list of the electoral college members and their latest addresses.
Garima Jain, Joint Secretary, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, and Vijay Kumar, Director, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, have been appointed as Assistant Returning Officers for the election.
What triggered Dhankhar’s abrupt exit?
While the former VP of India cited ‘health reasons’ for his sudden departure from the post, it did not stop political speculations from buzzing. One of the key reasons as per reports was Justice Varma’s motion passed with haste. But another incident that might have triggered the tiff was when Dhankhar both JP Nadda and Kiren Rijiju sat out from a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) session.
Dhankhar’s ongoing criticism of the judiciary was seen as an overreach when he challenged the apex court’s judgement and faced controversy and backlash. The escalating tensions between the former VP and the current cabinet was becoming a growing concern. However, this is not a nascent development. The INDIA bloc moved a no-confidence motion in the Upper House against Dhankhar in 2024. His regular opposition to the Centre’s action became the root cause for escalated tensions.