ECI Notifies Polls for 37 Rajya Sabha Seats
Notifications for the polls will be issued on February 26.
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday issued a notification for elections to 37 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states, with polling and counting scheduled for March 16.
The terms of 37 members of the Upper House are set to expire in April. The ECI said adequate measures, including appointment of observers, would be taken to ensure a free and fair election. It also directed that only integrated violet colour sketch pens be used for marking preferences on ballot papers.
The seats falling vacant are in Maharashtra (7), Odisha (4), Telangana (2), Tamil Nadu (6), Chhattisgarh (2), West Bengal (5), Assam (3), Haryana (2), Himachal Pradesh (1) and Bihar (5). The seats will fall vacant on April 2 and 9.
Notifications for the polls will be issued on February 26. The last date for filing nominations is March 5, scrutiny will take place on March 6, and the last date for withdrawal is March 9. Polling will be held between 9 am and 4 pm on March 16, with counting from 5 pm the same day.
Among prominent members completing their terms are Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP), Abhishek Singhvi (Congress), Saket Gokhale (TMC), Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena-UBT), Ramdas Athawale (RPI-A), M. Thambidurai (AIADMK) and Tiruchi Siva (DMK).
The biennial elections are expected to impact the strength of parties in the Upper House, with the BJP currently in government or in alliance in six of the 10 states where seats are falling vacant. Opposition parties govern Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal. In Maharashtra, the opposition MVA could send one candidate if it contests unitedly.