Rajya Sabha
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) today announced that the 17th Vice-Presidential Election to fill the vacant office of the Vice-President of India will be held on September 9, 2025, with the results to be declared on the same day. The vacancy arose following a notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs on July 22, 2025, prompting the ECI to issue the election schedule under the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952.
The Vice-President, elected for a five-year term starting from the date they assume office, will be chosen by an Electoral College comprising 788 members of both Houses of Parliament, though currently reduced to 782 due to five vacant Rajya Sabha seats and one vacant Lok Sabha seat. This includes 233 elected and 12 nominated Rajya Sabha members, and 543 elected Lok Sabha members. Each member’s vote carries equal weight, set at one, and the election will follow the system of proportional representation using a single transferable vote, conducted by secret ballot.
The ECI has appointed the Secretary General of Rajya Sabha as the Returning Officer, supported by two Assistant Returning Officers, with notifications issued on July 25, 2025. The Vice President is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Nominations must be filed by August 21, 2025, at a designated location in New Delhi, accompanied by a Rs. 15,000 security deposit. Each candidate requires at least 20 electors as proposers and 20 as seconders, with a limit of four nomination papers per candidate. Scrutiny of nominations is scheduled for August 22, 2025, and the last date for withdrawal is August 25, 2025. If a poll is required, voting will take place on September 9, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM in Room No. F-101, Vasudha, First Floor, Parliament House, New Delhi, using special pens provided by the ECI to ensure valid votes.
The Vice-Presidential election process emphasises secrecy, with electors required to mark preferences in numerals on ballot papers and insert them into a ballot box without revealing their votes. The Constitution has expressly provided that election to the office of Vice-President shall be by secret ballot. Violations of this procedure or use of unauthorised pens will result in ballot cancellation. Political parties are prohibited from issuing whips to MPs, and acts of bribery or undue influence could lead to the election being declared void by the Supreme Court. The ECI has also directed the use of eco-friendly materials for the election, avoiding prohibited plastics, and will maintain a list of Electoral College members, available for purchase at Rs. 100 per copy. Counting, if needed, will occur on September 9, 2025, under the Returning Officer’s supervision, with the Return of Election issued thereafter.
– global bihari bureau
