There was a stir in India’s political machinery after the Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar suddenly resigned, citing health reasons on July 21. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh has taken over as the acting Chairman of the Upper House, who is constitutionally the post of Vice President.
Now everyone’s attention is on the race for the next Vice President of the country and the Election Commission will have to conduct elections within 60 days before 19 September. However, this is not a direct election by the public. The Vice President is selected by all the existing MPs of both the houses of Parliament through proportional representation and single transferable voting system.
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The Vice President is not just a formal person. He presides over the Rajya Sabha and often guides important legislative debates and decisions. Before the election of the new Vice President, how this role is handled in the Parliament in Parliament.
What will happen next?
- Notification: The Election Commission will announce the election schedule in the coming days.
- Nomination: Political alliance will nominate its candidates.
- Voting: All MPs will rank candidates in order of priority.
- Results: The votes will be calculated based on proportional system so that the winner can be determined.
- Swearing up: The new Vice President will take oath after the results were announced.
How is the election of Vice President?
Unlike the general elections, the Vice President is selected by a single transferable vote system through proportional representation. To be declared the winner, the candidate has to cross a quota, which is done by dividing the total valid votes and by adding one.
Also read: Jagdeep Dhankhar himself resigned or got it? Learn- Inside Story to remove Vice President
If a candidate does not achieve this quota in the first calculation, then the candidate with the lowest first-virtue is excluded. Their ballot papers are then revived on the basis of second preference. This process goes on until a candidate gets a majority.
782 MPs are eligible for voting
According to the current number of Parliament, 782 MPs are eligible for voting, except for six vacant seats. The majority figure to win the Vice Presidential election is 392. Any candidate who will get 392 or more votes through the first preference or subsequent counting, will be declared the winner. However, if the opposition coalition was not successful in fielding a joint candidate with the support of India blocks, independents and small parties, then the BJP -led NDA alliance will be in a strong position to appoint its candidate.
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