Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, Bengal, MP August 8

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Friday announced the schedule of polling for the nine Rajya Sabha berths, which will be getting vacant by next month. Other than these, one seat from Madhya Pradesh got vacant due to the passing away of Union environment minister Anil Madhav Dave. Polling for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats in three states would be held on August 8. 

The term of nine Rajya Sabha members, including CPI(M) Sitaram Yechury, Union minister Smriti Irani, BJP’s Dilip Bhai Pandya, TMC’s Derek O’Brien, his party colleagues D. Bandopadhyaya, Dola Sen and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Congress’ Ahmed Patel and P. Bhattacharya are ending. The ruling BJP-led NDA, however, will continue to remain in a minority in the Upper House. 

Of the six seats getting vacated next month from West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee-led ruling TMC is likely to get five and one might go to the Congress, whose leader P. Bhattacharya’s term is also coming to an end. Three seats from Gujarat are also getting vacant and the ruling BJP will get two seats. The lone seat from Madhya Pradesh will go to the BJP.  Apart from these 10, BJP will also bag the lone seat from Goa, where polling is scheduled on July 21.