EC finalises Electoral College for vice presidential poll
New Delhi: The Election Commission on Thursday said it has finalised the Electoral College for the vice presidential election, necessitated due to the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar from the post.
The vice president of India is elected by an Electoral College comprising the elected members and nominated members of the Rajya Sabha and the elected members of the Lok Sabha.
In a statement, the poll authority said it has finalized the Electoral College list for the Vice Presidential Election, 2025.
The Electoral College list will be available for purchase at a counter set up in the Election Commission office from the date of notification, which is likely to be announced soon, the poll body said.
Dhankhar resigned as vice president on July 21, a little more than two years ahead of the end of his tenure. His term was to end on August 10, 2027.
According to Clause 2 of Article 68 of the Constitution, an election to fill a vacancy in the office of the vice president occurring due to his death, resignation or removal, or otherwise, will be held "as soon as possible".
The person elected to fill the vacancy will be entitled to hold office "for the full term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office".
From the day the notification is issued, "calling the Electoral College to vote", and till the day of the poll, a period of 30 days is stipulated.
A person cannot be elected as the vice president unless he is a citizen of India, has completed 35 years of age and is qualified for election as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
A person is also not eligible if he holds any office of profit under the government of India or a state government or any subordinate local authority.
The ruling NDA has a comfortable edge in the ensuing poll.
The 543-member Lok Sabha has one vacant seat -- Basirhat in West Bengal -- while there are five vacancies in the 245-member Rajya Sabha.
Of the five vacancies in the Rajya Sabha, four are from Jammu and Kashmir, and one from Punjab. The seat from Punjab was vacated after AAP leader Sanjeev Arora quit following his election to the state assembly in a bypoll last month.
The effective strength of both the Houses together is 782 and the winning candidate will require 391 votes, considering that all eligible voters exercise their franchise.
In the Lok Sabha, the BJP-led NDA enjoys the support of 293 of the 542 members. The ruling alliance has the support of 129 members in the Rajya Sabha (effective strength 240), assuming that the nominated members vote in support of the NDA nominee.
The ruling alliance has the support of total 422 members.
Article 66 (1) of the Constitution provides that the vice presidential election shall be held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote and the voting at such election shall be by secret ballot.
In this system, the elector has to mark preferences against the names of the candidates.
The vice president is the second highest constitutional office in the country. He/she serves for a five-year term, but can continue to be in office, irrespective of the expiry of the term, until the successor assumes office.
