Vice Presidential Election 2022: Polling to be held today; numbers stacked in Jagdeep Dhankhar’s favour

Vice presidential poll 2022: The members of Parliament will vote to elect the next Vice President of India on Saturday (August 6, 2022) with Venkaiah Naidu's term ending on August 10. NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar and Opposition pick Margaret Alva will fight it out today to become the next Vice President of India. With numbers stacked in favour of the NDA, Dhankhar, former governor of West Bengal, is set for an easy win.

Jagdeep Dhankhar is in an advantageous position with the support of several parties like Janta Dal (United), YSRCP, BSP, AIADMK and Shiv Sena. He is likely to get over 515 votes against Margaret Alva's speculated 200 votes. 

Cracks were visible in opposition unity as Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress decided to abstain from voting alleging lack of consultations while deciding on the name of Alva.

The 80-year-old Alva is a Congress veteran and has served as governor of Rajasthan, while the 71-year-old Dhankhar is a Jat leader from Rajasthan with socialist background. 

While polling will be held from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday, the ballots will be counted immediately after that. By late Saturday evening, the returning officer will announce the name of the next vice president.

Members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including nominated members, are eligible to vote in the vice presidential poll.

It may be noted that the electoral college in the vice presidential election comprises a total of 788 members of both Houses of Parliament. Since all the electors are members of both Houses of Parliament, the value of vote of each MP would be the same — one, the Election Commission has said.

The election is held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote and the voting at such election is by secret ballot.

(With agency inputs)