Rajya Sabha Elections: Elections will be held on June 18 for 26 Rajya Sabha seats across 12 states. The Election Commission announced the schedule on Friday. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is expected to lose one seat in these elections, while the Congress-led opposition is expected to gain three seats.
Who Are Retiring From Rajya Sabha Membership?
Elections for these seats are being held due to the retirement of sitting members. Those retiring include former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader Digvijay Singh, Union Ministers Ravneet Singh and George Kurien.
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According to the Election Commission, the last date for filing nominations will be June 8. Of the 26 seats, the NDA currently holds 18, the Congress four, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) one, and the YSRCP three.
Which States Will Have Elections?
Rajya Sabha elections will be held for four seats each in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Karnataka. Voting will be held for three seats each in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Two seats in Jharkhand, one seat each in Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram. By-elections will also be held for one seat each in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
The NDA is expected to win 17 seats in these elections, while the Congress is expected to win five. The JMM is projected to win two seats, and the Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) one.
Focus On Rajasthan and Karnataka
Out of the three seats in Rajasthan, the BJP is expected to win two, and the Congress one. The BJP has 118 MLAs in the Rajasthan Assembly, while the Congress has 67. The remaining seats are held by other parties and independents.
In Karnataka, the Congress is projected to win three seats, and the BJP one. In Andhra Pradesh, the Telugu Desam Party is expected to win all four seats, while in Gujarat, the BJP is projected to bag all four seats. In Jharkhand, the JMM-Congress alliance may win both seats, although the BJP may attempt to win one seat through cross-voting.
What Is The Current Situation In The Rajya Sabha?
Currently, the NDA has 149 MPs in the 244-member Rajya Sabha. The opposition has 78 MPs, while regional parties have 17 members. The Election Commission has also separately announced by-elections for the vacant seats in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. These seats fell vacant following the resignations of Sunetra Pawar of the NCP in Maharashtra and CV Shanmugam of the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. The NDA is likely to win the Maharashtra seat, while the Tamil Nadu seat may go to the TVK.
(With Jagran.com inputs)