The next Vice President will be a veteran leader from the BJP, top sources in the party have told NDTV, ruling out speculation that the BJP may consider key allies, such as JDU chief Nitish Kumar, for the top post vacated by the sudden exit of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. “The Vice President will be someone closely associated with the party’s ideology,” a top BJP leader said.

Earlier, a meeting between JDU leader and Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur and BJP chief JP Nadda had sparked a buzz. But BJP sources trashed such speculation, stressing that it was a routine interaction. The sources also said the BJP had not spoken to the JDP leadership about the Vice President post.

The Election Commission has started preparing for the Vice Presidential election. The poll body has said in a press note that the poll schedule will be announced after the formalities. “Major pre-announcement activities which have already been started include: (i) Preparation of Electoral College which consists of elected as well as nominated members of Rajya Sabha as well as Lok Sabha; (ii) Finalisation of Returning Officer/ Assistant Returning Officer(s); and (iii) Preparation and dissemination of Background Material on all the previous Vice-Presidential Elections,” the poll body has said.

The Opposition is yet to propose a name for the top post. In the past, only four out of 16 Vice Presidential elections were held without contest, so the Opposition may come out with a name later.

The election for the new Vice President follows the shock resignation of Mr Dhankhar. While the former Vice President, whose term was to end in August 2027, has cited health grounds, the corridors of power are echoing with multiple theories about what may have prompted him to make the decision.

According to government sources, Mr Dhankhar crossed the red line several times, but his decision to accept an opposition-backed motion to impeach Justice Yashwant Varma was the trigger point.

Following the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against him, the government felt Mr Dhankhar was allowing Opposition leaders a greater voice. His stand on farmers’ issues, especially his questions to Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at a public event, was not well-received. According to government sources, there was also a plan to bring a no-confidence motion against Mr Dhankhar if he did not resign.

His exit has been followed by speculation on who will be the government’s choice for the top post. Some had said the BJP may choose a leader from ally JDU, possibly even its chief Nitish Kumar, with an eye on the upcoming Bihar polls. But BJP sources have trashed this theory.