The Election Commission Tuesday announced that elections to 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be held on October 16, along with a by-election to one Upper House seat from West Bengal.
Ten of the seats going to polls are from Uttar Pradesh and one from Uttarakhand, with the terms of the sitting members due to end on November 25. The West Bengal bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of actor Rukmini Mallik on July 16. The member elected from Bengal will serve the remainder of the term until April 2, 2032.
Nominations from September 29
According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission, notifications for the elections will be issued on September 29 and candidates can file their nominations until October 6. The nominations will be scrutinised on October 7, while October 9 will be the last date for withdrawal of candidature.
Polling, if required, will be held on October 16 from 9 am to 4 pm, followed by counting of votes at 5 pm the same day. The Commission has said the entire election process should be completed by October 19.
Ten UP seats
Among those whose terms from Uttar Pradesh are coming to an end are Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and BJP leaders Arun Singh, Geeta Shakya, Neeraj Shekhar, Brij Lal and Seema Dwivedi. BSP leader Ramji Gautam and Union Minister of State Banwari Lal Verma are also among the outgoing members.
Another Uttar Pradesh seat, earlier held by BJP leader Dinesh Sharma, fell vacant on September 11. Taken together, the developments have put 10 Rajya Sabha seats from the state in the election cycle.
In Uttarakhand, BJP MP Naresh Bansal’s six-year term is due to end on November 25.
Bengal bypoll
The Election Commission will simultaneously conduct the by-election for the West Bengal vacancy created by Mallik’s resignation. Unlike the members elected in the biennial polls, the successful candidate in the Bengal bypoll will complete only the unexpired portion of the existing term.
Rajya Sabha members are elected by elected members of state legislative assemblies through proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. The respective strength of parties and alliances in the three state Assemblies will therefore determine the arithmetic for the contests.
The October 16 elections will fill the vacancies before the terms of the outgoing members from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand expire in November.