Vice President Election Set for 9th September Following Jagdeep Dhankhar’s Sudden Resignation
New Delhi, 1st August 2025: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced that the election to fill the vacant post of Vice President will take place on 9th September. This comes in the wake of Jagdeep Dhankhar’s unexpected resignation on 21st July, reportedly due to health concerns.
According to the official schedule, the process will formally begin with the issuance of the election notification on 7th August. Nomination papers must be filed by 21st August, following which the scrutiny and withdrawals will take place. Voting and counting are both scheduled for 9th September.
The polling, if necessary, will be held in Room No. F-101, Vasudha, First Floor, Parliament House, New Delhi, in accordance with Rule 8 of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules of 1974. Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody has been appointed as the Returning Officer for the election, a decision formalized by the Commission on 25th July.
The Vice President is elected by an electoral college composed solely of Members of Parliament. This includes 233 elected and 12 nominated members from the Rajya Sabha, and 542 elected members from the Lok Sabha, totaling 782 voters. Currently, five Rajya Sabha and one Lok Sabha seat are vacant.
The election follows the system of proportional representation using a single transferable vote. Each Member of Parliament casts their vote by ranking candidates in order of preference. The candidate who secures more than half of the valid votes plus one, the quota, is declared the winner. If no candidate meets the quota in the first round, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on second preferences. This process continues until one candidate surpasses the required quota.
Dhankhar’s abrupt exit came shortly after he chaired a Rajya Sabha session. His resignation was handed over to President Droupadi Murmu and was officially accepted by the Home Ministry on 22nd July. The move has triggered speculation in political circles, with some insiders suggesting that his decision was prompted by his acceptance of an Opposition-backed impeachment motion against Justice Yashwant Varma, a move reportedly at odds with the BJP’s parallel plan to introduce a similar motion in the Lok Sabha.
While the government has not publicly commented on the development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Dhankhar well in a post on social media platform X, stating: “Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar Ji has got many opportunities to serve our country in various capacities, including as the Vice President of India. Wishing him good health.”
