Jagdeep Dhankar is only the third Vice-President in India’s history to resign before completing his term, after V.V. Giri and R. Venkataraman. (Express Archive)Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation late on Monday night has created a rare mid-term vacancy in the country’s second-highest constitutional office. He is only the third Vice-President in India’s history to resign before completing his term, after V.V. Giri and R. Venkataraman—both of whom stepped down to contest presidential elections and were succeeded by Gopal Swarup Pathak and Shankar Dayal Sharma, respectively. Here’s what happens next:Q. Who performs the Vice-President’s duties now?The Constitution does not provide for an acting Vice-President. However, since the Vice-President is also the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Deputy Chairman — currently Harivansh Narayan Singh — will preside over the House in his absence.Q. When will the election be held?In the case of the President, the Constitution requires that a vacancy be filled within six months. But for a Vice-Presidential vacancy, there is no such fixed deadline. The only requirement is that the election be held “as soon as possible” after the post falls vacant. The Election Commission will announce the schedule. The poll is conducted under the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952. As per convention, the Secretary General of either House of Parliament is appointed as the Returning Officer, in rotation.Q. How long will the new Vice-President serve?The elected candidate will serve a full five-year term from the date of assuming office — not just the remainder of Dhankhar’s tenure.Q. How is a new Vice-President elected?The Vice-President is elected by an electoral college made up of members from both Houses of Parliament — Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha — including nominated members. Unlike in a presidential election, state legislatures do not participate.Voting is held in Parliament House in New Delhi, by secret ballot, using the system of proportional representation with a single transferable vote. Each MP casts a vote by ranking candidates in order of preference. All votes carry equal value.To be declared elected, a candidate must reach a required minimum number of votes — called the quota. This is calculated by dividing the total number of valid votes by two and adding one (fractions, if any, are ignored). If no candidate crosses the quota in the first round, the one with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated, and their votes are transferred to the remaining candidates based on second preferences. The process continues until one candidate crosses the quota.Q. What are the eligibility criteria for candidates?Story continues below this adA person contesting for the post of Vice-President must be a citizen of India, at least 35 years old, qualified to be elected to the Rajya Sabha, and registered as an elector in any parliamentary constituency. They must not hold any office of profit under the central or state governments, except positions like President, Governor, or Minister.Ritika Chopra, an award-winning journalist with over 17 years of experience, serves as the Chief of the National Bureau (Govt) and National Education Editor at The Indian Express in New Delhi. In her current role, she oversees the newspaper's coverage of government policies and education. Ritika closely tracks the Union Government, focusing on the politically sensitive Election Commission of India and the Education Ministry, and has authored investigative stories that have prompted government responses. Ritika joined The Indian Express in 2015. Previously, she was part of the political bureau at The Economic Times, India’s largest financial daily. Her journalism career began in Kolkata, her birthplace, with the Hindustan Times in 2006 as an intern, before moving to Delhi in 2007. Since then, she has been reporting from the capital on politics, education, social sectors, and the Election Commission of India. ... Read More© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Jagdeep Dhankhar