Who will be Vice President of India? The other crucial election on August 6

As parties prepare to elect the chief of the Upper House on Aug 6, Aditi Phadnis looks at the dynamics of the job

The exercise to elect a new President of India is all but completed. Except in the event of a last-minute upheaval, Droupadi Murmu will become the first tribal to occupy the Rashtrapati Bhavan after July 25, when current incumbent Ram Nath Kovind completes his term.

Then it will be time for the second big election: of the Vice- President (August 6), almost as important as the President for the single-most important function he performs. He/she is ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha (RS), or the Upper House of Parliament.

Which means he/she presides over the House, his/her rulings are law, binding upon