In the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections scheduled across 15 states, political observers are closely analysing the potential impact on the dynamics of the upper house of India’s Parliament. The elections for 56 Rajya Sabha seats from these states are slated for February 27. The term of office for 50 Rajya Sabha members from 13 states is set to conclude on April 2, while the remaining six members from two states are due to retire on April 3.
Notably, the terms of several Union Ministers, including Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, and Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, is coming to an end. Presently, the BJP holds the majority with 93 seats, followed by Congress with 30 seats, Trinamool Congress with 13 seats, Aam Aadmi Party with 10 seats, and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam with 10 seats, among others in the Rajya Sabha. Additionally, the President nominates 12 members to the Upper House based on their contribution to arts, literature, sciences, and social services.
Big news‼‼‼
ECI issues notification for 56 Rajya sabha seats.
Election on 27th February pic.twitter.com/v1o3Te4GAh
— JB (@JBtwet) January 29, 2024
After the elections on these vacant seats, the opposition in the Rajya Sabha is anticipated to weaken, particularly as the Congress has lost power in two states. The Congress’ diminishing influence in Bihar, where it was part of the dominant coalition, further contributes to the anticipated reduction in its overall seats. Meanwhile, there is a potential gain of nearly eight seats for the NDA. With the BJP-JD(U) coalition likely to secure two seats in Bihar, currently held by the RJD and Congress, the NDA’s current strength in the upper house stands at 114, with the BJP holding 93 seats. Here are a few key points to consider regarding the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in the 15 states:
Elections for
56 Rajya Sabha seats in 15 States.UP – 10
Bihar & Maharashtra – 6 each
MP, Bengal – 5 eachGujarat & Karnataka – 4 each
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh & Rajasthan: 3 each
Polling on 27 Feb pic.twitter.com/e9UGzjTAVe
— Poll Diary (@poll_diary) January 29, 2024
Uttar Pradesh (10): The Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, with the highest number of seats at stake (10), will significantly influence the upper house. Jaya Bachchan from Uttar Pradesh holds one seat for the Samajwadi Party, while the BJP has 9 seats. Among the BJP MPs completing their terms are Ashok Vajpayee, Anil Jain, Anil Agrawal, Kanta Kardam, Sakaldeep Rajbhar, GVL Narsimha Rao, Harnath Singh Yadav, and Vijaypal Tomar. Additionally, Anil Baluni from Uttarakhand is concluding his term.
Maharashtra (6): Maharashtra’s elections carry political weight as one of the most crucial states. Foreign Minister V. Muraleedharan, MSME Minister Narayan Rane, former Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, Congress member Kumar Ketkar, RACSPA member Vandana Chavan, and Shiv Sena (UBTI) member Anil Desai are all retiring from the Rajya Sabha. The outcome will shape the representation of major parties like the BJP, NCP, Shiv Sena, and Congress.
Bihar (6): The Rajya Sabha tenure is concluding for representatives from Bihar – RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha and Ahmad Ashfaque Karim, JD(U)’s Aneel Prasad Hegde and Bashistha Narain Singh, BJP’s Sushil Kumar Modi, and Congress’s Akhilesh Prasad Singh.
West Bengal (5): Trinamool Congress members Abir Ranjan Biswas, Subhasish Chakraborty, Mohammed Nadimul Haque, Santanu Sen, and Congress member Abhishek Manu Singhvi are retiring from the Rajya Sabha in West Bengal.
BJP is discussing few names as candidate from WB for upcoming Rajyasabha election
1. Siddhartha Sankar Naskar – Kirtaniya, 19 LS candidate from Tamluk , 21 VS candi from Nadia .
2. Jaggannath Chattopadhyay – Gen secretary of WB BJP , 21 VS candidate from Suri , Birbhum. pic.twitter.com/NB1U5g2OZQ
— Subham. (@subhsays) January 30, 2024
Karnataka (4): In Karnataka, BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Congress members L Hanumanthaiah, G C Chandrashekhar, and Syed Nasir Hussain are retiring.
Gujarat (4): Gujarat will see the retirement of Congress members Naranbhai Rathwa and Amee Yagnik, making the elections crucial for both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress party.
Rajasthan (3): Rajasthan’s elections are vital for both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress party, impacting the political equation in the state and at the national level.
Madhya Pradesh (5): Madhya Pradesh’s elections will be closely watched as they determine the representation of major parties like the BJP and the Congress in the Rajya Sabha.
Odisha (3): Odisha’s BJD members Prashant Nanda and Amar Patnaik are retiring, and the elections will influence the representation of major parties like the BJD and the BJP in the Rajya Sabha.
Andhra Pradesh (3): The elections in Andhra Pradesh will be crucial in determining the representation of major parties like the YSRCP and the TDP in the Rajya Sabha.
Telangana (3): Retiring members from Telangana include BRS’ Joginipally Santosh Kumar Ravichandra Vaddiraju and B Lingaiah Yadav. The Congress, ruling in Telangana, aims to secure at least two nominees in the Rajya Sabha.
Himachal Pradesh (1): In Himachal Pradesh, the possibility of the Congress gaining a seat from the BJP is being considered, currently held by BJP President J.P. Nadda. Congress is contemplating fielding General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, making this election crucial for both parties.
Chhattisgarh (1): BJP representative Saroj Pandey from Chhattisgarh is retiring.
Haryana (1): D P Vats from Haryana is retiring.
Jharkhand (1): The elections in Jharkhand are critical for the ruling JMM-Congress-RJD alliance and the opposition BJP, impacting political dynamics at both the state and national levels.
Overall, the outcome of the Rajya Sabha elections in these 15 states will have a significant impact on the balance of power in the Rajya Sabha and will shape the political dynamics and chemistry at both the state and national levels. Additionally, in a separate development, four nominated members are set to retire in July, and currently, two nominated seats remain vacant. Among those retiring in July are Mahesh Jethmalani, Sonal Mansingh, Ram Shakal, and Rakesh Sinha, all representing the BJP.
During the voting process, each Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) receives a ballot paper that includes preferences for all the candidates contending for election. MLAs cast their votes by indicating their preferences against the names of candidates. If a candidate obtains the necessary quota of votes in the initial round, they are declared elected.
However, if no candidate reaches the required quota in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. The votes that went to the eliminated candidate are then transferred to the remaining candidates, based on the preferences marked by the MLAs. This elimination and vote transfer process continues iteratively until all the available positions are filled.
The election schedule is as follows: notifications will be issued on February 8, nominations can be made until February 15, scrutiny of nominations will take place on February 16, the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is February 20, polling is scheduled for February 27 from 9 am to 4 pm, vote counting will commence on February 27 at 5 pm, and all elections must be completed by February 29.
