V-P poll on August 5, results on same day

Election Commission announced on Thursday that the poll for India’s next vicepresident will take place on August 5. The term of vice-president M. Hamid Ansari ends on August 10.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition are yet to announce their nominees for the post. Counting will be held on the same day as the election.

The incumbent vice-president Hamid Ansari served from August 11, 2007 to August 10, 2012 and was re-elected as the 14th vice-president on August 11, 2012. The Election Commission said the notification will be issued on July 4 and the last date for nomination is July 18.

The BJP, which has nominated a Dalit with an RSS background Ram Nath Kovind as their candidate for the President’s post, is tight-lipped about its choice for the vice president, though names of union minister Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha MP Hukum Dev Narain are doing the rounds.

According to the rules, the election to fill the position has to be held within 60 days of the expiry of the term of the office of the outgoing vice-president.

Any person qualified to be elected and intending to stand for election as vice president is required to be nominated by at least 20 MPs as proposers and at least 20 more as seconders.

Chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi, while announcing the schedule on Thursday, said no whip can be issued by political parties as the election is through a secret ballot.

Secretary General of Rajya Sabha Shumsher K Sheriff will be the returning officer for the election, Zaidi said.