The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the upcoming Vice Presidential election, with polling set for September 9, following the resignation of incumbent Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 22.
As per the official notification, the last date for filing nominations is August 21, and the results will be declared on the same day as polling, if an election is held.
Vice President Election Schedule 2025
- Issue of Notification: August 7 (Thursday)
- Last Date for Nominations: August 21 (Thursday)
- Scrutiny of Nominations: August 22 (Friday)
- Last Date for Withdrawal: August 25 (Monday)
- Date of Polling (if required): September 9 (Tuesday)
- Counting of Votes: September 9 (Tuesday)
How the Vice President of India is Elected
The Vice President of India is elected indirectly by an Electoral College comprising all members of both Houses of Parliament — Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha — including nominated members. State legislative assemblies do not participate in this election.
The election is conducted through the single transferable vote (STV) system under proportional representation, and voting is by secret ballot. Members rank candidates in order of preference.
Each candidate must be nominated by at least 20 MPs as proposers and 20 as seconders, with a security deposit of ₹15,000 submitted to the Reserve Bank of India.
Eligibility Criteria
To contest the election, a candidate must:
- Be a citizen of India
- Be at least 35 years of age
- Be qualified for election to the Rajya Sabha
- Not hold any office of profit under the Government of India or any state government (with exceptions)
The Election Commission oversees the process, typically appointing the Secretary-General of either House of Parliament as the Returning Officer.
After counting, the Returning Officer declares the elected candidate, and the result is published in the Official Gazette. If the elected Vice President is a sitting MP, their seat is vacated on assuming office.
The Vice President is the second-highest constitutional office in India and also serves as the ex-officio Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, playing a key role in legislative proceedings. This election comes at a time of significant political attention, with the choice likely to reflect the parliamentary consensus across party lines.
