Rajya Sabha elections: Polling for 55 seats on March 26, results to be declared on same date

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday announced that the elections to fill 55 seats in the Rajya Sabha will be held on March 26, 2020, following the retirement of the members in the upper house of the parliament.

The elections will be held in 17 states, ECI stated.

The voting will commence from 9 am and conclude at 4 pm on March 26. The counting of votes will begin at 5 PM on the same day.

The last date for making nominations is March 13, 2020. The last date for scrutiny of nominations, withdrawal of candidates will be carried out on March 16, 2020, and March 18, 2020 respectively, according to the ECI.

The ruling party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was holding 16 seats, Congress 13, All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) four, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) four, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) three, Janata Dal (United) (JDU) three and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) two, One seat each was with Shiv Sena, Republican Party of India (Athawale), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Bodoland People's Front and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). One member was without party affiliation while there were two independents.