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Vice Presidential poll on August 10 |
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Meanwhile, the Election Commission has announced the schedule for the Vice Presidential election. The notification for the election would be issued today, July 9 and the last date for filing nomination papers is July 23. Scrutiny will take place the next day, while nominations can be withdrawn upto July 26. Polling, if necessary, will take place on August 10. Counting will also be on the same date.
The term of the current incumbent, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, comes to an end on August 18. Unlike the presidential poll, the Vice President’s Electoral College only comprises a total of 790 members of Parliament including 543 elected members of the Lok Sabha and 233 from the Rajya Sabha, in accordance with the proportional representation system. Twelve nominated members from the Rajya Sabha and two from the Lok Sabha are also voters in the poll. The polling is done by secret ballot through single transferable vote.
The Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha has been appointed as the Returning Officer for the Vice Presidential poll.
Given their numerical edge over the Opposition in both House of Parliament, the UPA-Left alliance is expected to ensure a victory for its nominee in the event of polling.
Jockeying for the Vice President’s post has already started in ruling coalition circles. The Left parties, including the CPI(M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury and the CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan have made it clear that the post must go to an ally which could be even from among the Left parties since the Congress had already got its leader Pratibha Patil selected as the UPA-Left nominee for President.
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