Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation causes political turmoil: Who will be the next Vice President now?

After Dhankhar’s resignation, the biggest question now is who will be the next Vice President of the country? Since the NDA has a majority in Parliament and the Vice President is elected by the MPs of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the chances of victory of the NDA candidate are considered to be high.

New Delhi: Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from his post on 21 July 2025. He cited health reasons in his resignation and submitted his resignation to President Draupadi Murmu, which the President has accepted with immediate effect. His resignation has come at a time when the monsoon session of Parliament had just started, which has caused a stir in political circles.

What next after the resignation of the Vice President?

After Dhankhar's resignation, the biggest question now is who will be the next Vice President of the country? Since the NDA has a majority in Parliament and the Vice President is elected by the MPs of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the chances of victory of the NDA candidate are considered to be high.

Who will take charge of the Rajya Sabha for the time being?

After Dhankhar's resignation under Article 67(A) of the Constitution, the responsibility of Rajya Sabha proceedings has now been handed over to Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh. He will play the role of chairman during the Parliament session, although this is a temporary arrangement.

When will the new election be held?

According to the Constitution, a new election must be held within 60 days of the Vice President's post becoming vacant. This means that the new Vice President should be elected by 19 September 2025. The Election Commission may soon announce the election schedule.

What is the election process like?

Only MPs have the right to vote in the Vice Presidential election. This election is held through secret ballot and Single Transferable Vote system. MPs rank the candidates in order of priority. There is a redistribution of votes until a candidate gets the required majority.

Strategy of NDA and Opposition

The NDA has a majority in both houses, so it can choose its candidate accordingly. However, the opposition can also field a strong candidate, making this election politically exciting and challenging.

Possible candidates of BJP

The BJP has many options. It can field a governor, an experienced organisational leader or a Union minister. For example, Dhankhar himself was previously the Governor of West Bengal. Dhankhar was preceded by Venkaiah Naidu, who has been a Union minister in the Modi government.

Who is the frontrunner?

Harivansh Narayan Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from JDU and currently holds the post of Deputy Chairman, is considered to be one of the prominent potential candidates. He has been in this position since 2020 and is considered trustworthy by the government.