Vice Presidential Poll on September 9; Opposition Weighs Common Candidate

The Election Commission on Friday declared that voting for the country's 17th Vice President will be conducted on September 9, with the Congress-led Opposition indicating plans to put forward a joint candidate against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

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Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced, "The notification for the election will be issued on August 7. Nominations can be filed until August 21." If required, the polling will take place in Room F-101, Vasudha, Parliament House, from 10 am to 5 pm. Counting will be completed the same day.

The upcoming election follows the unexpected resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21, marking the first time a sitting Vice President stepped down mid-term without contesting for a higher post. Dhankhar had more than two years left in his tenure. Historically, only V V Giri in 1969 and R. Venkataraman in 1987 resigned mid-way, both to contest presidential elections.

Opposition leaders have indicated ongoing discussions to finalize a common nominee. "We are exploring the possibility of fielding a consensus candidate who reflects the unity of the opposition," said a senior Congress functionary.