India Initiates Process for Vice Presidential Election Following Sudden Resignation

The Election Commission of India has formally begun preparations for the upcoming election to the office of the Vice President of India, following the unexpected resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs notified the resignation through a Gazette Notification dated July 22, 2025.

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Acting under its constitutional mandate provided in Article 324 of the Constitution, and in accordance with the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952 and the accompanying 1974 rules, the Election Commission is now carrying out key pre-election procedures.

Among the major preparatory tasks already underway are the compilation of the Electoral College comprising elected and nominated members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, finalization of the Returning Officer and Assistant Returning Officers, and the preparation of reference materials on the history of previous Vice Presidential elections.

The Commission is expected to announce the official schedule for the Vice Presidential election shortly after these formalities are concluded.

The move comes just a day after Dhankhar’s resignation sent political ripples through the Monsoon Session of Parliament. 

While he cited health reasons for stepping down, Opposition parties have called for greater transparency, linking the resignation to internal discontent and institutional tensions in the upper house. 

His departure has amplified scrutiny of the government’s functioning within Parliament, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a diplomatic tour to the UK and Maldives.

With the Vice President's chair -- also that of the Rajya Sabha Chairman -- now vacant, the upcoming election is expected to draw both political and public attention. 

The outcome will shape not only the presiding officer of the upper house but may also signal larger shifts ahead of the 2026 general elections.