Vice-presidential Poll LIVE Updates: Time Ticks Closer to India Getting New V-P; Dhankhar

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(80). With the ruling BJP having an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha and 91 members in the Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar has a clear edge over his rival. He is likely to succeed incumbent M Venkaiah Naidu, whose tenure ends on August 10. All MPs of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, including nominated members, are entitled to vote in the vice presidential election. The two Houses of Parliament together have a sanctioned strength of 788 MPs, of which there are eight vacancies in the Upper House. Hence, 780 MPs are eligible to cast their ballot in this election.

Alva is likely to get over 200 votes, going by the support announced by parties for her candidature so far. The Trinamool Congress, which has 23 MPs in Lok Sabha and 16 in Rajya Sabha, has decided to stay away from the vice presidential election.

“If Parliament is to function effectively, MPs, independent of their parties, must find ways to rebuild trust and restore broken communication amongst each other. In the end, it is the MPs who determine the character of our Parliament,” Alva said in a fresh video message ahead of elections. She said she has seen debates and differences and yet an atmosphere of give and take, which is now lacking. “The time has come for all parties to get together and to restore the faith and the trust in each other and restore the dignity of Parliament,” Alva said in her fresh appeal to MPs. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge also hosted a dinner on Thursday night to thank all opposition MPs who are supporting Alva.

Dhankhar, on the other hand met a number of BJP MPs at his residence on Friday. These include Sushil Kumar Modi, Gautam Gambhir, Rajyavardhan Rathore, Rajendra Agrawal, Pradeep Choudhary and Kartikeya Sharma, among others. He has been meeting party MPs while seeking their support for the poll. While polling will be held from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday, the ballots will be counted immediately after that. evening, the returning officer will announce the name of the next vice president.

Members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including nominated members, are eligible to vote in the vice presidential poll. The term of incumbent M Venkaiah Naidu ends on August 10. The vice president is also the chairperson of Rajya Sabha.

The electoral college in the vice presidential election comprises a total of 788 members of both Houses of Parliament. Since all the electors are members of both Houses of Parliament, the value of vote of each MP would be the same — one, the Election Commission has said. The election is held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote and the voting at such election is by secret ballot.

There is no concept of open voting in this election and showing the ballot to anyone under any circumstances in the case of presidential and vice-presidential elections is totally prohibited, the EC has cautioned, adding that parties cannot issue whip to its MPs in the matter of voting. Unlike the presidential poll where voting takes place in multiple locations as elected MLAs, not nominated, also form part of the electoral college, in the vice presidential election, voting takes place in Parliament House.

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