The stage is set for Rajya Sabha polls today for 25 seats in six states
New Delhi: Voting will be held in seven states today to fill 25 of 59 Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant; 33 candidates have been elected unopposed. The BJP is expected to gain about a dozen seats in the upper house and consolidate its position as the largest party, but it is far from a majority in the 245-member house. The opposition Congress is set to lose some four seats. Contests will be held in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Telangana. In Uttar Pradesh, where there are 11 candidates for 10 seats, it is a prestige battle with the ruling BJP out to avenge its recent bypoll humiliation at the hands of the Samajwadi Party and Mayawati's BSP. Voting will be held between 9 am and 4 pm.
Here is your 10-point guide to the Rajya Sabha elections:
The ruling BJP has eight candidates and is supporting a ninth, an independent member. A party needs 37 votes to win each seat in UP. The BJP, with over 300 lawmakers, is assured of a victory in eight seats. The SP can easily win a seat. Mayawati's party, which has 19 lawmakers, will have the support of eight SP members, seven Congress members and one of Ajit Singh's party.
With the BJP supporting an independent candidate in the same seat, Mayawati's candidate is in trouble. Two jailed lawmakers who would have voted for the BSP candidate - one each from the SP and BSP - are out for the count. The BSP is still confident.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is among the BJP candidates expected to sail through. The Samajwadi Party (SP) has fielded Jaya Bachchan and the BSP has put up Bhim Rao Ambedkar.
For West Bengal's five seats, there are six candidates. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool has put up four nominees and also pledged its surplus votes to Congress's Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The Trinamool and the Congress are set to win, with the Left fighting a token contest.
There are three candidates for two vacancies in Jharkhand. The BJP has fielded two candidates and the Congress had put up one. With only seven votes, the Congress is eyeing the support of 19 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha lawmakers besides other smaller parties.
In Karnataka, the ruling Congress has fielded three candidates for four seats but has enough to win two. The BJP has enough to send one candidate, Rajeev Chandrashekhar. With 32 extra votes, the Congress is hoping to win a third seat with help from rebel lawmakers of the Janata Dal Secular.
For a single seat in Chhattisgarh, the ruling BJP has enough to defeat the Congress, which is short of seven votes.
For the three Rajya Sabha seats from Telangana, the ruling TRS has enough numbers to get two of its three candidates through without a hitch. It hopes to push a third candidate through, with the support of the AIMIM of Asaduddin Owaisi. The Congress has fielded one in a token contest.
In Kerala, the Left-led coalition and the Congress-led opposition grouping are contesting the by-election for one seat. The Left has enough to win the lone seat with 19 votes to spare.
