Vice President Poll Notification Soon, Electoral College List Finalised
The Vice President is elected by an Electoral College comprising elected members of the Rajya Sabha, nominated members of the Rajya Sabha, and elected members of the Lok Sabha.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday said that it has completed the finalisation of the Electoral College list for the 2025 Vice-Presidential Election, and the notification date is expected to be “announced shortly”.
The election became necessary after Jagdeep Dhankhar tendered his unexpected resignation on July 21.
Though there is no fixed time limit to fill the vacancy for the country’s second-highest constitutional post, the law requires that the election be conducted at the earliest possible time.
The poll panel, on July 23, stated that it had started the groundwork for conducting the election and would issue the schedule soon after “completion of preparatory work”.
On Thursday, the ECI stated that the Electoral College list includes members listed in a continuous serial sequence, arranged alphabetically as per the State/Union Territory of their respective Houses.
“The Election Commission of India, under Article 324 of the Constitution, is responsible for conducting the election to the office of the Vice President of India,” the ECI mentioned.
The Vice President is elected by an Electoral College consisting of elected and nominated members of the Rajya Sabha, as well as elected members of the Lok Sabha.
“…the Election Commission is entrusted with the task of preparing and maintaining an updated list of members of this Electoral College, along with their most recent addresses,” the ECI further added.
Important pre-election activities include compiling the Electoral College list (comprising both elected and nominated members of the two Houses), appointing returning officers, and preparing relevant documents and background material regarding past elections.
The poll panel has already designated the returning officers for the upcoming election.
Resignation of Vice President Dhankhar
Jagdeep Dhankhar was elected as the 14th Vice President in August 2022, and he had two years remaining in his term. He has now become the third Vice President in Indian history to resign before the completion of the term. VV Giri and R. Venkataraman had previously stepped down mid-term to contest in presidential elections.
In December 2024, a motion seeking impeachment was brought forward by 54 opposition Members of Parliament against Dhankhar, but it was not accepted.
In his resignation letter, Dhankhar stated that he needed to prioritise his health. “To prioritise health care and follow medical advice, I am hereby resigning from the post of Vice President of India, with immediate effect, as per Article 67(a) of the Constitution,” the letter read.
