PTI
New Delhi
The BJP is set to win at least half of the 37 Rajya Sabha seats going to biennial polls on March 16 and is likely to increase its strength in the upper House, as it is in power or part of the ruling alliance in six of the 10 states where seats are falling vacant.
The seats will fall vacant on April 2 and 9 following the retirement of several members, including Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh (JDU), NCP-SP MP Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP), former Lok Sabha deputy Speaker M Thambidurai (AIADMK) and Union ministers Ram Nath Thakur (JDU) and Ramdas Athawale (RPI-A).
According to the Election Commission, the seats are spread across Maharashtra (7), Odisha (4), Telangana (2), Tamil Nadu (6), Chhattisgarh (2 seats), West Bengal (5), Assam (3), Haryana (2), Himachal Pradesh (1) and Bihar (5).
Notifications for the polls will be issued on February 26, and according to established practice, polling on March 16 will be held between 9 am and 4 pm, with counting scheduled from 5 pm the same day.
Based on its legislative strength, the BJP is expected to win around 15 to 18 seats, while nine of its MPs are retiring next month.
The BJP has governments or is an alliance partner in Maharashtra, Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Assam. It will help the party gain numbers in the Upper House.
In Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal, opposition parties are in power.
The Congress is likely to win four seats — one each in Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Haryana — on the basis of the strength of its MLAs in the respective state assemblies. The party, however, will not gain any numbers in the upper House as four of its MPs are retiring.
The RJD is set to lose both its seats in Bihar due to insufficient numbers.
In Maharashtra, the ruling BJP-led alliance is likely to win six of the seven seats while the opposition MVA may get one seat if they put up a united fight. The Congress, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP-SP are likely to lose one seat each in the state.
The Congress is also set to lose a seat in Chhattisgarh.
In Tamil Nadu, the ruling DMK is likely to win four of the six seats, while the AIADMK is expected to secure one. The remaining seat could see a keen contest.
In Assam, where assembly elections are due next month, the ruling BJP is likely to win all three seats.
In West Bengal, the ruling TMC is expected to win four seats, and the BJP is likely to win one. One of the seats fell vacant after the resignation of MP Mausam Noor last month when she switched back to the Congress from the TMC.
Amongst the prominent MPs retiring are Abhishek Singhvi (Congress), Saket Gokhale (TMC), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Bhubaneswar Kalita, Ram Chander Jangra and Kiran Choudhary (all BJP).
