Elections have been announced for 56 Rajya Sabha seats across 15 states in the country. The Election Commission has declared that voting will take place on February 27. The terms of 50 Rajya Sabha members from 13 states are set to conclude on April 2, while 6 members from 2 states will retire on April 3. The states where Rajya Sabha elections are scheduled include West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
Additionally, the terms of several Central Ministers are coming to an end, including Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (Odisha), IT State Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Karnataka), MSME Minister Narayan Rane (Maharashtra), Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan (Madhya Pradesh), Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya (Gujarat), and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav (Rajasthan).
The Election Commission has announced that the notification for the Rajya Sabha elections will be issued on February 8. Candidates can file their nominations until February 15, with scrutiny of nomination papers scheduled for February 16. Withdrawal of candidature can be done until February 22.
In a significant development ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress faces a setback as several leaders switch to BJP in Assam immediately after the conclusion of Rahul Gandhi’s journey.