The stage is set for the Rajya Sabha elections across three states today: Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. The voting, scheduled from 9 am to 4 pm, will determine the fate of 15 seats, with the counting process starting at 5 pm and results anticipated later in the evening.
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has nominated eight candidates while the opposition Samajwadi Party has put forward three for the 10 available Rajya Sabha seats. Despite both parties having enough numbers to secure seven and three seats respectively unopposed, the BJP's nomination of Sanjay Seth has introduced the possibility of a competitive contest. With the BJP and SP being the largest parties in the 403-member state assembly, and Congress, as an ally of SP, holding two seats, alongside additional seats held by smaller parties, the electoral landscape is rife with anticipation. Alongside Seth, the BJP has fielded seven other candidates.
In Karnataka, the political atmosphere has intensified with the BJP-JD(S) alliance nominating Kupendra Reddy as their second candidate, despite having the strength to secure only one seat out of four. In this scenario, each candidate must secure 45 votes to win, but with more contenders, preference votes come into play. The election is triggered by the retirement of Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekar from the BJP and Congress' Chandrashekar, L Hanumanthaiah, and Hussain after the expiration of their six-year terms on April 2. The Congress, with 134 MLAs, the BJP with 66, and JD(S) with 19, along with four belonging to other parties, is making efforts to ensure unity by relocating all its MLAs to a hotel ahead of the election. With five candidates in the fray, parties are issuing whips amid concerns about potential cross-voting.
In Himachal Pradesh, the Congress has instructed all its legislators to participate in the voting process. With 40 MLAs, Congress holds a clear majority compared to BJP's 25 members. Three MLAs are Independents, two of whom are BJP dissidents. The contest for the Rajya Sabha seat features Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi against BJP's candidate Harsh Mahajan, a close associate of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, adding further intrigue to the electoral dynamics of the state.
Moreover, out of the 56 Rajya Sabha seats, 41 members have successfully clinched their positions in the upper house.
