The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Parliamentary Board is scheduled to convene on Sunday, August 17, 2025, to finalize the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) candidate for the upcoming Vice Presidential election. The meeting, expected to be held in the evening around 6 PM at the party headquarters in New Delhi, follows the Election Commission of India's announcement of the election date as September 9, 2025.

The need for a new Vice President arose after the surprising resignation of incumbent Jagdeep Dhankhar on August 4, 2025, who cited prioritizing healthcare and abiding by medical advice. Dhankhar's resignation, which came after he chaired the first day of the Parliament Monsoon Session as Rajya Sabha Chairman, triggered speculation in political circles, with the opposition raising questions about the real reasons behind his departure.

Sources indicate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President JP Nadda have been authorized to make the final decision on the NDA's Vice Presidential candidate. It is also expected that all Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states will participate in the nomination process.

The Election Commission's notification has set August 21, 2025, as the deadline for filing nomination papers, with scrutiny on August 22 and the last date for withdrawal on August 25. The Vice-President is elected by members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, including nominated MPs. Given the NDA's strength of approximately 422 MPs, the ruling coalition appears to hold a comfortable majority in the electoral college, where a winning candidate requires at least 391 votes.

Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc is reportedly moving to field a joint candidate. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has supposedly reached out to opposition leaders to build consensus on a name. While no formal meeting has occurred, backchannel discussions are supposedly underway. Some within the bloc suggest announcing their candidate after the BJP reveals its choice, while others advocate contesting regardless to send a strong political message.

On Thursday, August 14, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that Prime Minister Modi and BJP President Nadda would finalize the NDA's candidate, with an announcement likely on August 12. This followed a meeting of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) floor leaders at the Parliament building, attended by senior leaders, including JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and others.