Gandhinagar: In a historic first, the Congress party will have no representation in the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat, as the term of its lone MP from the state, Shaktisinh Gohil, concludes on June 21. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced the schedule for elections to 24 Rajya Sabha seats, including four from Gujarat.
Election Schedule
According to the ECI poll schedule, a notification for the election will be issued on June 1. The last date for filing nominations is June 8, and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is June 11. Voting will take place at the assembly complex in Gandhinagar from 9 am to 4 pm on June 18, with counting of votes scheduled for 5 pm on the same day.
BJP's Dominance
With an overwhelming majority in the Gujarat assembly, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is poised to easily secure all four seats that will be vacated. The saffron party holds 162 seats in the 182-member house, while the Congress has only 12 MLAs. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has five MLAs, there are two independents, and the Samajwadi Party (SP) has one MLA.
The other three sitting Rajya Sabha MPs from Gujarat whose six-year terms expire on June 21 are Narhari Amin, Ramila Bara, and Ram Mokariya — all from the BJP.
Preparations for the Poll
An official statement on Friday confirmed that the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) is fully prepared to conduct the Rajya Sabha election as per the directions of the ECI.
