1 / 8When will India get its next Vice President? | Following Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation, both the office of the Vice President and the role of Rajya Sabha Chairman are now vacant. Here’s what happens next.
2 / 8About Jagdeep Dhankhar | Jagdeep Dhankhar was elected as India’s 14th Vice President in 2022. Before this, he served as the Governor of West Bengal from 2019 to 2022. His term was originally set to end in 2027, but he resigned on July 21, 2025, citing health reasons. (Image: PTI)
3 / 8Is there a deadline to elect a new Vice President? | The Constitution does not specify a fixed deadline for electing a new Vice President in the event of a resignation. the post remains vacant until a fresh election is conducted. (Image: Canva)
4 / 8Who chairs the Rajya Sabha in the interim? | The Vice President also serves as the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Dhankhar presided over the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha on the first day (July 21) of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament 2025. Upon resignation, this role is temporarily filled by the Deputy Chairman, as permitted under Article 91 of the Constitution. The Deputy Chairman presides over Rajya Sabha proceedings until a new Vice President is sworn in. (Image: PTI)
5 / 8What is the eligibility to become Vice President? | To be eligible for the office of Vice President of India, a candidate must be a citizen of India, at least 35 years of age, qualified to be a member of the Rajya Sabha, and must not hold any office of profit under the Government of India or any state government. (Image: Canva)
6 / 8When will the election be held? | While the Constitution specifies a 60-day window for holding elections when a Vice President completes their full term, no such timeframe is defined in the event of an early resignation. In such cases, the election must be conducted at the earliest possible opportunity. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is responsible for announcing the timeline. The process follows the provisions laid out in the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952.
7 / 8How is the Vice President elected? | As per Article 66 of the Constitution of India, the Vice President is elected by the members of the Electoral College, consisting of members of both Houses of Parliament. The election is conducted using a system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. For the 16th Vice-Presidential election held in 2022, the Electoral College consisted of members from both Houses of Parliament. This included 233 elected and 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha, along with 543 elected members of the Lok Sabha, making a total of 788 members eligible to vote in the election.
8 / 8Voting Process | Members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha cast their votes by ranking candidates in order of preference. The candidate securing the highest number of first-preference votes is declared elected. (Image: Canva)
