New vice president expected by August-end as election process begins
What's the story
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated the process to elect a new Vice President of India. This comes after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post on July 21. The ECI said in a statement on Wednesday that it has started preparations for the Vice Presidential Elections, 2025. The election will be conducted as per Article 324 and the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952.
Upcoming schedule
Election schedule to be announced soon
The ECI said the election schedule will be announced soon. It has already started pre-announcement activities, such as preparing the Electoral College and finalizing returning officers. The electoral college consists of all members of both Houses of Parliament, elected and nominated, using a proportional representation system through single transferable votes. Currently, there are 788 MPs in the electoral college—543 from the Lok Sabha and 245 from the Rajya Sabha.
Frontrunners
Who will be the next VP?
Several names are in the fray for the post of vice president. Harivansh Narayan Singh, Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha, is among the frontrunners. Reports also suggest Jammu and Kashmir L-G Manoj Sinha or Delhi L-G VK Saxena could be in contention. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's name has also been mentioned as a possible candidate. The country is likely to have a new vice president in office by the end of August, per NDTV.
Resignation impact
Dhankhar's resignation, new VP's election timeline
A candidate for vice president must be a citizen of India, at least 35 years old, eligible for election to the Rajya Sabha, and a registered voter anywhere in India. Except for positions such as president, governor, or minister, the individual cannot hold any profit-making office in the Union or state government. Dhankhar resigned with two years remaining in his five-year term. However, his replacement will receive a full five-year term, rather than simply the remainder of his term.
Party transition
BJP to elect new national president
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is also in the process of electing its new national president, replacing JP Nadda. Reports suggest that a new president could be elected after August 15. Dhankhar's predecessor was M Venkaiah Naidu, a former BJP president who served in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet before being appointed to the constitutional post in 2017.