The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially begun its preparations for the upcoming Vice-Presidential elections following the resignation of Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. The Election Commission has stated that once all necessary groundwork is completed, it will announce the election schedule for the Vice President’s office at the earliest possible time.
In a formal press release, the ECI confirmed, "The MHA vide its Gazette Notification dated July 22, 2025 has notified the resignation of Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice President of India." Under Article 324 of the Constitution, the ECI is responsible for conducting the election for the Vice President. The entire process is regulated by The Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952, along with The Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974.
Election Commission of India starts preparations relating to the Vice-Presidential Elections, 2025.
— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2025
On completion of the preparatory activities, the announcement of the Election Schedule to the office of the Vice-President of India will follow as soon as possible, says Election… pic.twitter.com/44DUFeYC7F
The Commission has already kicked off key preparatory activities. These include compiling the Electoral College which comprises both elected and nominated members of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha appointing the Returning Officer and Assistant Returning Officers, and assembling background material on all previous Vice-Presidential elections to ensure a smooth process.
The resignation of Dhankhar, which was formally accepted by President Droupadi Murmu, creates a vacancy almost two years before the scheduled conclusion of his term. Notably, the Constitution’s Article 68(2) does not specify a fixed timeline for conducting the Vice-Presidential election in such cases but states that it should be held “as soon as possible.”
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Dhankar's Sudden Resignation Creates Political Uproar
Dhankhar’s unexpected resignation came shortly after a week of political unrest. Officially, it was attributed to health reasons. However, NDTV citing their sources said reports indicate that the resignation was triggered by a series of events beginning with Dhankhar’s role as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, where he accepted a motion from opposition MPs to remove Justice Yashwant Varma, a High Court judge currently under investigation for corruption after a significant cash seizure from his home.