New Delhi: The elections for 13 Rajya Sabha seats across six states falling vacant in April will be held today. The six states electing 13 MPs are Assam (2), Himachal (1), Kerala (3), Nagaland (1), Tripura (1), and Punjab (5).
While five members of Punjab are retiring on April 9, those from the rest of the states are retiring on April 2. The counting of votes will be undertaken after 5 pm today.
With the BJP winning in four out of the five states that recently went to Assembly polls, it eyes victory in at least five of the 13 seats. The saffron party currently has a strength of 97 in the 245-member upper house.
While BJP aims to win at least four Rajya Sabha seats from the northeastern states of Assam, Nagaland, and Tripura, the Aam Aadmi Party that registered a thumping win in Punjab Assembly elections is confident of winning the five seats from the state.
In Assam, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has said the NDA will win both seats, with the BJP nominating Pabitra Margherita and its partner United People's Party - Liberal (UPPL) supporting Rwngwra Narzary. The Congress has named Ripun Bora as its nominee.
The Rajya Sabha will be bidding farewell to 72 members today as they will be retiring from their services by August this year.
How voting is done in Rajya Sabha elections
A third of Rajya Sabha members from each state retire every two years after serving for a tenure of six years. Only elected members of the state assemblies vote in a Rajya Sabha election. They mark their preference for the candidates as 1, 2 3… in order of their first, second or third choice. In all the states, the ruling party always has an edge over the opposition parties when it comes to sending a representative to the Upper House.