New Delhi: Preparations for the election for the post of Vice President are complete. Voting and counting will take place on Tuesday. There is a direct contest between BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate CP Radhakrishnan and India Block candidate Justice (Retd.) B Sudarshan Reddy. A total of 782 MPs (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members) are eligible to vote in this election. They will decide the fate of both the candidates.
According to Article 66 (1) of the Constitution, the Vice President of India is elected by an electoral college. Voting for the second highest post in the country will begin at 10 am on Tuesday in Parliament House and will continue till 5 pm. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has been given the authority to conduct elections for the post of Vice President under Article 324.
Preparations complete:
Speaking to ETV Bharat, a senior Election Commission official said, “All preparations have been completed for the Vice Presidential election to be held on Tuesday. A total of 782 members (from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) are eligible to vote.” Voting will be held through ballot paper in Room No. F-101, Vasudha, Parliament House from 10 am to 5 pm. Counting of votes will begin at 6 pm and the result will be declared soon after.
The senior election officer said, “Six members can enter the room at a time to cast their votes. Six cabins have been made where they can mark their respective ballot papers and then put it in the ballot box.” He said that all voters will have to reach this room to cast their vote.
Videography of voting:
Speaking to ETV Bharat, former Lok Sabha Secretary General PDT Acharya explained in detail the process of conducting the Vice Presidential election. He said, “This process is similar to general elections. The difference is that in general elections, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are used, here voting is done using ballot papers and not EVMs.” Here the voters are all the MPs of both the Houses.
How to vote:
Acharya said, “MPs will have to go to the Returning Officer (RO) where voting will take place. There they will be given a ballot paper. The names of the candidates are listed alphabetically in the ballot paper. So when the ballot paper is handed over to them, the RO will put a mark in front of the MP’s name in the voter list.”
He said, “After this, the MPs will go to the cabins made, cast their votes. After casting their vote, they can come out and put the ballot paper in the ballot box, which will be kept in the middle of the room.”
Observers keep an eye:
The former Lok Sabha secretary general said, “A representative of the candidate can be present in the polling booth along with the returning officer. They will keep an eye on the voting process. If there is some irregularity, they will object to it and bring it to the notice of the returning officer. Election Commission observers will also be present there. They keep an eye on the entire process.”
Can candidates cast their vote?
Acharya said, “Candidates can vote only if they are MPs. If they are not MPs, they cannot vote.”
What is the strength:
The NDA has 293 members in the Lok Sabha and 234 members of the opposition, while the Rajya Sabha has 132 and 77 respectively. The BJP on Sunday began a two-day workshop for its MPs in the national capital ahead of the vice-presidential election. On Monday, a meeting of India Block MPs was held in the Central Hall of Parliament, which can be seen as a show of unity a day before the voting.
Why is the election being held:
The post of Vice President fell vacant after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned in July. Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post of Vice President on Monday, July 21, citing health reasons. Dhankhar took office in August 2022. His term was till 2027. His resignation came on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament.
