The Vice-President of India is elected by an electoral college of only Members of Parliament. Discuss the rationale and compare it with the Presidential election.

Under Article 66, the Vice-President is elected by the members of both Houses of Parliament using proportional representation by single transferable vote (STV) and a secret ballot [1]. In the 2025 election, 788 MPs (245 Rajya Sabha + 543 Lok Sabha) made up the electoral college, and turnout was 98.2% [2]. The MP-only electorate reflects the office's mainly parliamentary character.

Rationale for an MP-only electoral college

• The Vice-President's core job is parliamentary: under Article 64, the Vice-President is ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha [1][2]. It is therefore logical for Parliament, the body the Vice-President presides over, to elect them.
• Not the head of a federation: the Vice-President acts as President only during a vacancy (Art. 65) [1]. The office does not need the federal mandate that state MLAs give to the President.
• Simplicity and continuity: a smaller electorate makes the election quick to hold. The election also stays valid when some seats are vacant. In 2025, the effective electorate fell to 781 because of 7 vacancies, and the result still stood [2].
• Nominated members included: because the Chair must have the confidence of the whole House, nominated MPs also vote [1].

Comparison with the Presidential election

Feature            | President (Arts 54–55)           | Vice-President (Art 66)
-------------------|----------------------------------|-------------------------
Electors           | Elected MPs + elected MLAs       | All MPs (elected +
                   | (incl. Delhi, Puducherry)        | nominated)
Nominated members  | Excluded                         | Included
Value of vote      | Weighted by population; parity   | One member, one vote
                   | between Union and states         |
Common features    | STV, secret ballot; disputes go to Supreme Court (Art 71)
Removal            | Impeachment (Art 61)             | Rajya Sabha resolution,
                   |                                  | agreed to by Lok Sabha

Fig: Two elections compared [1][3]

Concerns

• The outcome usually follows the ruling coalition's majority in Parliament (in 2025, 452 vs 300 votes) [2]. This can raise doubts about whether the Chair will be impartial.
• States have no say in choosing someone who may become acting President.

Overall, the MP-only electorate fits a Vice-President whose main work is in the legislature, while the President's wider electorate reflects their role as head of a federal Union. To make the system more credible, the Chairman should act with strict non-partisanship and follow Rajya Sabha conventions. Doing so would uphold the constitutional values of parliamentary democracy and impartial presiding officers.