New Delhi: With Jagdeep Dhankhar stepping down as Vice President, an election to choose his replacement must be held “as soon as possible,” as stated in Clause 2 of Article 68 of the Constitution.
This clause mentions that if the Vice President’s position becomes vacant due to death, resignation, removal, or any other reason, the election should take place promptly. The new Vice President will serve a full five-year term starting from the day they take office.
The Constitution does not clearly mention who carries out the duties of the Vice President in the event of death or resignation before the term ends, or when the Vice President temporarily steps in as President.
The Vice President holds the second-highest constitutional role in India. Though the term is five years, he can continue in office beyond that until a new Vice President takes over.
The Constitution only mentions the Vice President’s role as the Rajya Sabha chairperson. If this post becomes vacant, the deputy chairperson or another Rajya Sabha member chosen by the President handles the duties.
The Vice President can resign by submitting a letter to the President. The resignation is valid once the President accepts it.
As Vice President, he automatically becomes the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha but does not hold any other paid government position. When he is acting as President, he does not carry out the Rajya Sabha duties and does not receive the corresponding salary or benefits during that time.
Under Article 66, the Vice President is elected by an Electoral College made up of members of both Houses of Parliament, through a proportional representation system using the single transferable vote.
To be eligible, a candidate must be an Indian citizen, at least 35 years old, and qualified to be a Rajya Sabha member. Anyone holding a government job or a paid position under the central or state government or local authorities is not eligible.
