Election of the Vice-President

The Vice-President of India is elected by an electoral college comprising all members of both Houses of Parliament. As detailed in Laxmikant's Polity, this election is conducted by the single transferable vote system with secret ballots, ensuring proportional representation.

Each member of the electoral college marks their preferences (1, 2, 3, etc.) on a ballot paper. If no candidate achieves the required quota on the first count, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes are transferred according to the next preferences indicated. This process continues until one candidate secures an absolute majority.

This method not only safeguards against regional or partisan bias but also ensures that the elected Vice-President enjoys broad support from the Parliament, reinforcing the legitimacy of the office in the federal structure.