Overview

• Senior Congress figures met in New Delhi on August 12 to deliberate possible contenders for the September 9 vice-presidential election.
• The nomination window closes on August 21, with polling set for September 9 and a candidate requiring a simple majority in the roughly 788-member Electoral College.
• A follow-up Congress meeting is slated for August 15–16 and an INDIA bloc consultation could convene by August 18 to agree on a nominee.
• Party factions remain split over whether to prioritise social-justice representation from SC/ST/OBC communities or project a younger candidate.
• INDIA bloc parties view the contest as a platform to showcase unity and protest the Bihar SIR despite the NDA’s parliamentary majority making victory improbable.