Vice President of India: The Election Commission of India (ECI)on July 5th 2022 issued the notification for the election of the Vice President of India.

Key Highlights:

• The term of office of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu comes to an end on August 10.
• The election is scheduled for August 6, and July 19 is the last date for filing nominations.

Is Vice President of India a constitutional post?

• The office of vice president is the second-highest constitutional office after the president and ranks second in the order of precedence and first in the line of succession to the presidency.
• The vice president is also a member of the Parliament of India as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

Office of the Vice President:

• Article 63 of the Indian Constitution states that “there shall be a Vice-President of India”.
• Under Article 64, the Vice-President “shall be ex officio Chairman of the Council of the States” (Rajya Sabha).
• Article 65 says that “in the event of the occurrence of any vacancy in the office of the President by reason of his death, resignation or removal, or otherwise, the Vice-President shall act as President until the date on which a new President…enters upon his office”.

What is the process of election of the Vice-President?

• Article 66 lays down the process of the election of the Vice-President.
• It says the Vice-President “shall be elected by the members of an electoral college consisting of the members of both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote and the voting at such election shall be by secret ballot”.
• Article 66(3) says “No person shall be eligible for election as Vice-President unless he —

• is a citizen of India;
• has completed the age of thirty-five years; and
• is qualified for election as a member of the Council of States”.

• He/she should not hold any office of profit under the Union government or any state government or any local authority or any other public authority.