Vice President election after Jagdeep Dhankhar's exit: How numbers stack up in Parliament? Who has the numbers?

NEW DELHI: With the sudden resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday, the race to elect his successor is set to begin. The Constitution mandates that such a vacancy must be filled "as soon as possible," typically within six months.In the interim, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh will preside over the Upper House. However, this stopgap arrangement is limited to parliamentary functions and does not confer the title or powers of an acting Vice President.Importantly, the successor will not simply complete the remainder of Dhankhar's tenure but will begin a full five-year term upon assuming office.The Vice President of India also serves as the ex-officio chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, making this transition particularly relevant ahead of the next parliamentary session.How the number stacks up?The vice president is elected by members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including nominated members of the Upper House. And currently, the NDA holds a comfortable edge.The current combined strength of the two Houses stands at 786, factoring in six vacancies - one in Lok Sabha (Basirhat, West Bengal) and five in Rajya Sabha (four from Jammu and Kashmir and one from Punjab, where AAP MP Sanjeev Arora stepped down after winning a state assembly bypoll last month).

To win, a candidate must secure at least 394 votes, assuming full turnout.The BJP-led NDA is well positioned. It commands the support of 293 MPs in the 542-member Lok Sabha and 129 MPs in the Rajya Sabha (effective strength: 240), including likely backing from nominated members. This gives the ruling alliance a projected total of 422 votes—well above the required majority.Under Article 68(2) of the Constitution, an election to fill a vacancy in the office of the vice president due to resignation, death, removal, or otherwise must be held "as soon as possible."

The person elected will serve a full five-year term from the date of assuming office.The vice presidential election follows the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote and is conducted via secret ballot, as laid down in Article 66(1). Electors rank candidates in order of preference.The vice president is the second-highest constitutional authority in India and also serves as ex-officio chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. While the tenure is five years, the incumbent continues until a successor takes office.Dhankhar, who took office in August 2022, resigned abruptly on Monday citing health reasons. His resignation letter was submitted to President Droupadi Murmu and took effect immediately.(With PTI inputs)