File photo of officials collecting ballot papers during the counting of votes to elect India’s next Vice-President on Aug. 6, 2022.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Election Commission of India has appointed Secretary General, Rajya Sabha, P.C. Mody as the Returning Officer for vice-presidential polls.
By convention, the Secretary General, Lok Sabha or the Secretary General, Rajya Sabha is appointed as the Returning Officer, by rotation. Two other senior officers of the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha Secretariat are appointed as the Assistant Returning Officers.
On Wednesday, the poll body said it would announce the poll schedule “as soon as possible”.
Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post on Monday (July 21, 2025), citing health reasons, creating a rare mid-term vacancy in the constitutional position.
The Vice-President is elected by an Electoral College, which consists of the members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Members of the Electoral College can vote according to their choice and are not bound by any party whip.
According to the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974, the nomination paper has to be subscribed by at least 20 electors as proposers and at least 20 electors as seconders and has to be presented to the Returning Officer, between 11 p.m.and 3 p.m. on any day appointed for the purpose, either by the candidate himself or by any of his proposers or seconders. The Security Deposit for the election is ₹15,000.
Published – July 25, 2025 11:59 am IST
