Jagdeep Dhankhar Resigns: Who will be the next Vice President of India? How will the new VP be elected? Complete election process here

New Delhi: In an unexpected move, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar on Monday evening resigned from his post citing health issues. In a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, he said his resignation will be effective immediately — “to prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance wills Article 67(a) of the constitution,” his letter read.

In March, Dhankhar was admitted at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences following “cardiac-related ailments”. Last month, he had fainted while attending the Golden Jubilee celebrations at the Kumaon University.

Jagdeep Dhankar Resigns:

In his letter, he thanked the President “for her unwavering support and the soothing wonderful working relationship we maintained during my tenure”. “I express my deep gratitude to the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the esteemed Council of Ministers. Prime Minister’s cooperation and support have been invaluable, and I have learned much during my time in office,” the letter read.

It is important to note that Jagdeep Dhankar’s resignation comes at a time when the Monsoon Session of Parliament is underway. In such a situation, it becomes important to understand how the Vice President is elected.

Vice President’s Election:

To elect the Vice President of India, only Members of Parliament from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha participate. Nominated members also take part in this election. In contrast, during the Presidential election, voting is done by Lok Sabha MPs and MLAs from all state assemblies.

Vice President Elections: Eligibility

  • To contest the election for the post of Vice President, a person must be a citizen of India.
  • They must be over 35 years of age
  • Fulfill all the qualifications required to be elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
  • A candidate contesting for the Vice President’s post must also deposit Rs 15,000 as a security deposit.
  • This amount is forfeited if the candidate loses the election or fails to secure one-sixth of the total votes.

How is voting conducted in the Vice Presidential election?

  • In the Vice Presidential election, members of both Houses of Parliament participate.
  • 245 members of the Rajya Sabha and 543 members of the Lok Sabha.
  • Among the Rajya Sabha members, 12 are nominated MPs who also take part in the voting.
  • The Vice President is elected through the Proportional Representation System using a special method called the Single Transferable Vote System.
  • During voting, each voter casts only one vote, but they are required to rank the candidates in order of preference.
  • On the ballot paper, the voter must mark their first preference as 1, second as 2, and so on.

Jagdeep Dhankar is the third Vice President to resign before completing his term. Earlier, VV Giri stepped down from the Vice Presidency in July 1969 to contest the presidential election following the death of President Zakir Husain.

After being elected as president, R Venkataraman resigned as Vice President in July 1987. He had served as Vice President from August 1984 to July 1987 and went on to hold the presidency until July 1992.

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