The process of filing nominations for the 16th Vice-Presidential elections will start today and continue till July 19. Polling to elect the successor of incumbent Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu will be held on August 6 and the results will be declared the same day, according to the Election Commission. Naidu’s term ends on August 10.
Eligibility
To file nomination for the post of Vice-President, the candidate should fulfil the following criteria:
He/ she should be a citizen of India.
The candidate should be 35 years of age and above.
He/ she should be qualified for election as a member of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha).A person holding an office of profit under the central or state government or any subordinate local authority is not eligible for filing nominations.
The Vice-President is not a member of the Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha of any state. If a member of any of these legislative houses is elected, the person is considered to have vacated his seat in that House on the date he/she enters the office as Vice-President.
Procedure of filing nominations
The Election Commission of India announced the schedule of election for the 16th Vice-Presidential Election on June 29. Candidates are required to submit the nomination paper to the returning officer chosen by the Election Commission in New Delhi. The candidate can himself file the nominations or by any of his proposers or seconders between 11 am to 3 pm.
A candidate’s nomination paper needs to be signed by at least 20 electors as proposers and by at least another 20 electors as seconders. However, an elector can be a proposer or a seconder to only one candidate's nomination paper. Each candidate is permitted to file a maximum of four nomination papers.
Candidates will have to make a security deposit of Rs 15,000 along with the nomination paper. The amount has to be deposited in the Reserve Bank of India or a Government Treasury prior to the filing of nomination.
The Election Commission will scrutinise the nomination papers on July 20. The last date for a candidate to withdraw their name is July 22.
Election
The Vice-President of India is elected by an electoral college comprising 788 members of both the Houses of the Parliament. This will include 233 elected members of the Rajya Sabha, 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha, and 543 elected members of the Lok Sabha. As the electors are all members of Parliament, the value of each vote by an MP would be considered the same, i.e., one.
The election will be held through a secret ballot in Parliament House, as per Rule 8 of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974.
Political parties are yet to name their candidates for the Vice-Presidential election.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
