Election for Vice President to Be Held on September 9, Announces EC

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has announced that the election for the post of Vice President will be held on September 9, if required. The polling and counting of votes will take place on the same day. The announcement follows the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar from the post on July 21, nearly two years before the scheduled end of his term in August 2027.

According to the election schedule released by the Commission, the last date for filing nominations is August 21, while the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is August 25. The Commission has also finalized the electoral college for the 2025 Vice Presidential election, which consists of elected and nominated members of the Rajya Sabha and elected members of the Lok Sabha.

The list of electoral college members will be available for purchase at the Election Commission office following the formal notification of the election.

As per Article 68(2) of the Constitution, a vacancy in the office of the Vice President—caused by resignation, removal, death, or any other reason—must be filled "as soon as may be." The newly elected Vice President will serve a full term of five years from the date of assuming office.

The election will be conducted through a single transferable vote system using proportional representation, with voting by secret ballot. Members of the electoral college are required to indicate their preferences against the names of the candidates.

To contest the election, a candidate must be a citizen of India, at least 35 years of age, and eligible for election to the Rajya Sabha.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) holds a clear numerical advantage in the upcoming vote. Of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, one (Basirhat, West Bengal) is currently vacant. In the Rajya Sabha, there are five vacant seats—four from Jammu and Kashmir and one from Punjab. The Punjab vacancy was created after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjiv Arora resigned following his election to the state assembly in a recent bypoll.

Taking these vacancies into account, the effective strength of the electoral college stands at 782. A candidate will need at least 391 votes to secure a win, assuming full participation. The BJP-led NDA currently has the support of 293 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 129 in the Rajya Sabha, giving the coalition a total of 422 members—well above the required majority.

With the NDA holding a strong position, the Vice Presidential election is likely to reinforce the ruling alliance’s influence over the upper echelons of government. However, the final outcome will depend on how parties position themselves and whether any surprise alliances emerge in the coming weeks.