India will elect a new Vice President on September 9, the Election Commission announced, following the unexpected resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar last month. The official notification for the election will be issued on August 7, with the last date to file nominations set as August 21. The results will be declared the same day as polling. Dhankhar, who was elected Vice President in 2022, stepped down more than two years before the end of his term, citing health reasons. However, reports suggest deeper tensions between him and the central government, particularly after he reportedly declined to support the Centre’s position on the proposed impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma.

According to Article 68(2) of the Constitution, a vacancy in the Vice President’s office due to resignation must be filled “as soon as possible”, and the elected candidate will serve a full five-year term. The electoral college for this election includes all elected and nominated members of the Rajya Sabha and elected members of the Lok Sabha. With the NDA holding a clear majority in both Houses—293 members in the Lok Sabha and 129 in the Rajya Sabha (assuming support from nominated MPs)—the alliance is strongly positioned to win. The total effective strength of both Houses is 782, meaning a candidate requires at least 391 votes to secure the post.

Currently, the Lok Sabha has one vacant seat (Basirhat, West Bengal), and the Rajya Sabha has five—four from Jammu & Kashmir and one from Punjab. The Punjab vacancy arose after AAP MP Sanjeev Arora resigned following his election to the state assembly. Despite these gaps, the ruling BJP-led NDA commands support from 422 members, giving it a decisive edge. The Vice Presidential role, which also functions as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, is crucial in legislative affairs and parliamentary functioning. All eyes are now on who the ruling alliance will nominate as India’s next Vice President.