The Vice-President of India is chosen by an electoral college consisting of members from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, including nominated members. Unlike the Presidential election, state legislatures do not have a role in this process.

The election takes place in Parliament House, New Delhi, through a secret ballot. It follows the proportional representation system using a single transferable vote (STV). Each MP assigns preferences to candidates, with all votes carrying the same value.

To win, a candidate must secure a minimum threshold of votes known as the quota, which is calculated as: (total valid votes ÷ 2) + 1. If no one achieves this in the first round, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed according to the next preferences. This continues until a candidate crosses the quota.

Eligibility for contesting the Vice-President’s office requires the person to be an Indian citizen, at least 35 years old, qualified to become a Rajya Sabha member, and enrolled as a voter in any parliamentary constituency. They cannot hold an office of profit under the Union or State governments, except for posts such as President, Governor, or Minister.

In the recent election, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) led by Naveen Patnaik and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) under K. Chandrashekar Rao announced that their MPs would abstain from voting.

The two main contenders were C.P. Radhakrishnan, the Governor of Maharashtra, and Justice Sudershan Reddy, a retired Supreme Court judge. The election became necessary after Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned unexpectedly on July 21, the first day of the monsoon session, citing health reasons.

At present, the electoral college for the Vice-President’s election consists of 781 MPs — 239 from the Rajya Sabha and 542 from the Lok Sabha