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After Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden exit, stage set for Vice President post race: How are numbers stacked in House?
In both Houses of Parliament, the NDA enjoys a clear majority, which is a crucial factor in the vice presidential election.
With the sudden resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday, the office is now up for a fresh high-stakes election to the country's second-highest constitutional post. As far as the numbers are concerned, the ruling NDA has a clear edge.
In both Houses of Parliament, the NDA enjoys a clear majority, which is a crucial factor in the vice presidential election, as votes from members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha decide it.
Where do the numbers stand?
The 543-member Lok Sabha has one vacant seat -- Basirhat in West Bengal -- while there are five vacancies in the 245-member Rajya Sabha. This brings the effective strength down to 240.
Of the five vacancies in Rajya Sabha, four are from Jammu and Kashmir and one from Punjab, where sitting member Sanjeev Arora quit the seat after being elected to the state assembly in a bypoll last month.
In Lok Sabha, the BJP-led NDA enjoys the support of 293 members in the 542-member House. The ruling alliance has the support of 129 members in the Rajya Sabha, which has an effective strength of 240, assuming that the nominated members vote in support of the NDA nominee.
So, in total, the combined strength of both Houses for the vice presidential vote stands at 786, meaning a candidate needs 394 votes to win.
The NDA, with support from 422 members, comfortably crosses that mark, giving it a commanding position in the upcoming contest.
What is the process ahead?
According to Article 68(2) of the Constitution, an election to fill a vacancy caused by the expiry of the vice president's term is completed before the expiry of the term.
If a vacancy arises due to death, resignation, removal, or otherwise, such as this, the election to fill that vacancy is held as soon as possible after the occurrence.
The election follows a system of proportional representation, with a single transferable vote and voting by secret ballot. Members of both Houses rank candidates in order of preference.
The vice president is the second-highest constitutional office in the country. He serves for a five-year term, but can continue to be in office, irrespective of the expiry of the term, until the successor assumes office.
