By-Polls for Rajya Sabha Likely to be Held on July 5

Rajya Sabha

New Delhi, June 16, 2019:

The by-elections to the six vacant Rajya Sabha (RS) will be held on July 5 and the counting of votes will be held on the same day as informed by the Election Commission (EC).

The elections will be held for the six seats in Gujarat, Bihar, and Odisha.

As notified by EC, “The entire process will have to be completed till July 9.”

Also Read: Lok Sabha Polls: BJP nudges out Congress in Assam, wins 9 seats compared to Congress

Out of the six seats, one in Bihar, two seats are vacant in Gujarat, and three in Odisha.

The two seats of Gujarat have been vacated as BJP leaders Smriti Irani and Amit won the Lok Sabha election. BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was also a Rajya Sabha member, won the polls from Bihar. In Odisha, BJD leaders Achutananda Samanta and Pratap Keshari Deb were elected to the state assembly and Soumya Ranjan Patnaik’s resignation let to the vacancy.

About Rajya Sabha: The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. It currently has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using single transferable votes through Open Ballot while the President can appoint 12 members for their contributions to art, literature, science, and social services. Members sit for staggered terms lasting six years, with elections every year but almost a third of the 233 designates up for election every two years, specifically in even-numbered years. The Rajya Sabha meets in continuous sessions, and unlike the Lok Sabha, being the lower house of the Parliament , the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of Parliament, is not subjected to dissolution. However, the Rajya Sabha, like the Lok Sabha can be prorogued by the President.