The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday, July 23, initiated the process to elect the next Vice President of India following the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), through a Gazette Notification dated 22 July 2025, formally notified Dhankhar’s resignation, paving the way for the electoral process to fill the constitutional vacancy, the ECI said in an official statement.
“In accordance with Article 324 of the Constitution, the ECI is mandated to conduct elections to the office of the Vice President. These elections are governed by the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952, and the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974,” ECI said.
It announced that preparatory work for the election is already underway, and a formal schedule for the election “will be announced soon after the completion of pre-election activities.”
The poll panel said that key preparatory steps initiated include the compilation of the Electoral College comprising both elected and nominated members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the finalisation of the Returning Officer and Assistant Returning Officers, and the preparation and distribution of detailed background material on all previous vice-presidential elections.
In a surprise move, Jagdeep Dhankhar stepped down as the vice president on Monday, citing health reasons. His term was to end on August 10, 2027.
