NEW DELHI: Voting for 19 Rajya Sabha seats spread across 8 states concluded peacefully at 4 pm on Friday. Voting began at 9 am in the respective Assemblies and concluded at 4 pm.
Polling took place in 8 states simultaneously – Gujarat (4 seats), Andhra Pradesh (4 seats), Rajasthan (3 seats), Jharkhand (2 seats), Manipur (1 seat), Meghalaya (1 seat) and Mizoram (1 seat). Apart from routine preparations, the Election Commission had made special arrangements for sanitisation, social distancing etc. in view of coronavirus outbreak. The EC had arranged separate entry and exit gates.
MLAs were allowed to enter the Assemblies after the thermal screening. 18 of the 19 seats are part of the 55 Rajya Sabha seats which fell vacant earlier this year. Out of these 55 seats, 37 were filled uncontested. Later, the Election Commission announced polls for four seats in Karnataka and one seat each in Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. While polls in Karnataka and Arunachal were unanimous affair, polling will take place in Mizoram.
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–The Rajya Sabha has a maximum membership of 245 seats. Of the 245, 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and UTs using single transferable votes through Open Ballot. The remaining 12 members are appointed by the President for their contributions to art, literature, science, and social services.
-Voting for three Rajya Sabha seats in northeastern states (Meghalaya, Mizoram and Manipur) concluded peacefully.
-The lone BJP MLA, Buddha Dhan, in Mizoram did not vote in the elections for the single Rajya Sabha seat in which NDA ally MNF is locked in a triangular fight,
-Among those who are tipped to enter Rajya Sabha easily for the first time include Jyotiraditya Scindia, Mallikarjun Kharge, Tambi Durai, KC Venugopal and KR Suresh Reddy.
-Counting of votes is currently underway.
-Voting for 19 seats in 8 states concludes peacefully, counting of votes to begin shortly.
-Of the 172 MLAs eligible to vote in the Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat, 170 MLAs cast their votes, while two others from the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) stayed away from the process after they demanded a written assurance about the welfare of tribals, migrants and Dalits.
-The saffron party has alleged that Ali flouted the coronavirus guidelines. It said Ali had returned from Australia one day ago and did not undergo the mandatory 14 days quarantine.
-The BJP has filed a police complaint against Rajasthan Congress MLA Wajib Ali.
-Pilot claimed that efforts were made to create confusion and spread rumour, but the candidates nominated by the AICC are going to win. “Both of our party candidates are going to win and I want to wish them in advance for their victory,” he said.
-Rajasthan deputy CM Sachin Pilot expressed confidence that the Congress will win the Rajya Sabha polls.
-TDP leader and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu casts his vote for the Rajya Sabha elections in Amaravati.
-Two TDP MLAs – K Atchannaidu and Anagani Satya Prasad – did not turn up for voting.
-The BJP has claimed that the lone NCP MLA in Gujarat has voted for the party candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls.
-Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh arrives at the state Assembly to cast his vote for one seat of Rajya Sabha.