Election of the Vice-President
Why it Matters?
The Election Commission has initiated preparations for the upcoming Vice-Presidential election following the mid-term resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar.
What You Should Know?
The Election Commission of India (ECI) conducts the Vice-Presidential election under Article 324 of the Constitution of India.
The election is governed by the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952, and the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974.
There is no fixed constitutional deadline to fill a Vice-Presidential vacancy, and the election must be held “as soon as possible” after the vacancy arises.
Electoral college:
The Vice-President of India is elected by an Electoral College consisting of the elected and nominated members of both the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States).
State Legislative Assemblies (SLA) do not participate in the Vice-Presidential election.
A party whip does not apply, and members vote based on their individual choice.
The election is conducted by secret ballot using the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).
All Members of Parliament (MPs) have equal vote value in the Vice-Presidential election.
To be elected, a candidate must secure the quota, and if no candidate reaches the quota in the first round, the candidate with the least first-preference votes is eliminated, and their votes are transferred based on second preferences.
A nomination must be proposed by at least 20 MPs and seconded by another 20 MPs, as per the 1974 Rules.
By convention, the Secretary General of either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha is appointed as the Returning Officer (RO), by rotation.