New Delhi : Rajya Sabha elections is now mostly clear. Elections were planned for 37 seats, but 26 candidates have already been elected without any contest. The results for the remaining 11 seats will be decided by voting on March 16 in three states.
Well-known leaders like Sharad Pawar, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Vinod Tawde and Ramdas Athawale are among those who became Rajya Sabha members without facing elections.
Seats decided without voting
Many states had the same number of candidates as seats, so the winners were declared unopposed.
- 7 seats in Maharashtra
- 6 seats in Tamil Nadu
- 5 seats in West Bengal
- 3 seats in Assam
- 2 seats each in Telangana and Chhattisgarh
- 1 seat in Himachal Pradesh
Voting in three states
Now the focus is on Bihar, Haryana and Odisha, where more candidates are contesting than the available seats.
Odisha election
In Odisha, five candidates are contesting for four seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party has nominated two candidates and is also supporting another leader. The Biju Janata Dal has fielded one candidate, while the Indian National Congress is backing another.
Three seats look almost certain, but the fourth seat may see a close contest.
Bihar election
In Bihar, six candidates are contesting for five seats. Candidates from the BJP, Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal are in the race.
The ruling alliance has strong numbers in the assembly, so most of its candidates are expected to win. However, the contest for the last seat could still become interesting.
Overall, most Rajya Sabha seats have already been decided, but the final picture will become clear after voting on March 16.