The office of the Vice President of India is a pivotal one, established under Article 63 of the Constitution. The primary and most visible duty of the Vice President is to serve as the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (the Council of States), presiding over its sessions and maintaining order in the upper house of Parliament. Beyond this legislative role, the Vice President steps into the nation's highest office under specific circumstances. As per Article 65, in the event of a vacancy in the office of the President due to death, resignation, or removal, the Vice President acts as the President until a successor is elected. They also discharge the duties of the President if the latter is unable to perform them due to absence or illness, assuming all the powers and privileges of the head of state.
The process for electing the Vice President, as laid out in Article 66, is distinct from that of the President. The Vice President is chosen by an electoral college consisting exclusively of the members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. This includes both the elected and the 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha. The full electoral college is composed of 233 elected members of the Rajya Sabha, 12 nominated members, and 543 elected members of the Lok Sabha, for a total of 788 members. For the current election, with a few seats vacant, a total of 781 members are eligible to cast their votes via a secret ballot.
The election employs a system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. This is not a simple "first past the post" system. Instead, each voter marks their preferences for the candidates on the ballot paper. To win, a candidate must secure a specific quota of votes. If no candidate reaches the quota in the first count, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed according to the second preferences marked on those ballots. This process continues until one candidate secures the required quota, ensuring the winner has a broad base of support.
To be eligible for the office of Vice President, a person must be a citizen of India, have completed 35 years of age, and be qualified for election as a member of the Council of States. The candidate cannot hold any "office of profit" under the government. The Vice President holds office for a term of five years but can be removed by a resolution passed by a majority of the Rajya Sabha and agreed to by the Lok Sabha. The Constitution also has a clear mechanism for handling any disputes that may arise during the election process. Under Article 71, all doubts and disputes are to be decided exclusively by the Supreme Court of India, whose decision is final.
· High-Stakes Election: Members of Parliament are voting today to elect India's next Vice President, a contest between the NDA's C. P. Radhakrishnan and the opposition's B. Sudershan Reddy.
· Unique Electoral College: The Vice President is elected by the members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, including nominated members, through a secret ballot.
· System of Proportional Representation: The election uses the single transferable vote system, where voters rank candidates by preference to ensure the winner has a majority quota.
· Key Constitutional Role: The Vice President serves as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and acts as the President of India in the event of a vacancy in that office.
