SOME FACTS ABOUT THE OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT

The vice-presidential contest is heavily stacked in favour of the ruling dispensation, which has a majority of around 550 votes out of a total of 790 members in both Houses of Parliament, who comprise the electoral college for the poll.

The electoral college that votes for the vice-president, who is also the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha, consists of 543 elected and two nominated members of the Lok Sabha, besides 233 elected members and 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha.

The term of Vice-president M Hamid Ansari, who has held the post for two successive spells, ends on August 10. The candidate of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which has a majority in the Lok Sabha and received the support of parties such as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Biju Janata Dal for the July 17 poll, is likely to win the contest, given its strength in Parliament.

Scrutiny will take place on July 19 and the last date for withdrawing from the election is July 21. Polling, if required, will take place on August 5 and the votes will be counted the same evening. No whip can be issued by political parties, as the election is through secret ballot.

Rajya Sabha Secretary General Shumsher K Sheriff is the returning officer for the election. During the last vice-presidential election in 2012, Ansari won 490 votes and Jaswant Singh,the Opposition candidate, got 238 votes.

In 2007, Ansari won the poll, securing 455 votes, while Najma Heptulla got 222 votes and Rasheed Masood 75 votes. In 2002, NDA nominee Bhairon Singh Shekhawat secured 454 votes, against the Opposition’s Sushil Kumar Shinde, who bagged 305 votes.

Four vice-presidents have so far been elected unopposed — first vice-president of India S Radhakrishnan (1952 and 1957), Mohammad Hidyatullah (1979) and Shankar Dayal Sharma (1987).