'Next Vice President will be ...': Shashi Tharoor on VP election after Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation

Tharoor also said that he hopes the government consults the Opposition before finalising the candidate.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, on Saturday, said he has “no idea” who will succeed Jagdeep Dhankhar as India’s next Vice President, but maintained it is clear the nominee will come from the ruling BJP. He further noted that he hopes the Centre consults the Opposition before finalising the candidate.

“All we know is that it will be somebody whom the ruling party nominates, as we already know the composition of the electorate,” Tharoor told reporters in Mumbai Saturday evening.

#WATCH | Mumbai | On the next Vice President, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "All we know is that it will be somebody whom the ruling party nominates, as we already know the composition of the electorate... We hope they consult the Opposition too, but who knows." pic.twitter.com/UQ3zznGLbq

— ANI (@ANI) August 2, 2025

“For the Vice President, it’s only the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. So we already know the majority. I think it’s fairly clear that the next vice president will be the nominee of the ruling party,” he said.

“We hope they consult the Opposition too, but who knows,” the senior Congress leader added.

The remarks come days after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as Vice President on July 21, midway through his term and on the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session, citing health concerns.

Political circles, however, remain abuzz with speculation of a deeper rift between Dhankhar and the government, especially after he reportedly resisted aligning with the Centre on the proposed impeachment of Justice Yashwant Varma.

As Vice President, Dhankhar also served as the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, presiding over critical legislative debates.

His resignation has now triggered the need for a new election, which the Election Commission has scheduled for September 9. The notification will be issued on August 7, and nominations can be filed until August 21.

The Vice President is elected by an Electoral College consisting of members from both Houses of Parliament, including nominated Rajya Sabha members. With the NDA commanding support from 293 of the 542 Lok Sabha members and 129 of the 240 Rajya Sabha members (including nominated ones), the ruling alliance has a comfortable majority of 422 votes, well above the 391 required to win.

The Vice Presidency, the second-highest constitutional office in the country, is held for a five-year term, though the incumbent may continue until a successor assumes office.