After Jagdeep Dhankhar’s exit, Vice Presidential poll to be held on September 9

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 1, 2025: The election for the post of Vice President will be held on September 9, the Election Commission announced on Friday.

The notification for the election, which is being necessitated following Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden exit last month, will be issued on August 7 and the last date for filing nomination papers will be August 21. 

 

The results of the election will be announced on the polling day -- September 9 -- itself, the polling body said.

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.

On July 21, Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped down as Vice President, a little more than two years ahead of the end of his tenure. His term was to end on August 10, 2027. Officially, he cited medical reasons for his exit but sources earlier hinted at a deeper unease, possibly even a breakdown of trust between him and the Centre that he once strongly defended.

The tipping point came when Mr Dhankhar refused to align with the government’s stand on the impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma. 

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, should 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".

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (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 Aam Aadmi Party 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 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 422 members.