Rajya Sabha elections for 8 seats to be held on June 19, results on same day

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced that biennial elections to eight Rajya Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu and Assam will be held on June 19, with results to be declared the same day. These elections are being conducted as the terms of eight sitting members are set to expire between June and July this year.

In Assam, the two outgoing members are Mission Ranjan Das and Birendra Prasad Baishya, who will retire on June 14. Tamil Nadu will see six seats become vacant with the retirement of Anbumani Ramadoss, M. Shanmugam, N. Chandrasegharan, M. Mohamed Abdulla, P. Wilson, and Vaiko on July 24.

According to the Commission's schedule, the election notification will be issued on June 2. The last date for filing nominations is June 9, scrutiny will be conducted on June 10, and the final date for withdrawal of candidature is June 12.

The Commission emphasized the strict use of violet sketch pens, supplied by the Returning Officer, to mark preferences on the ballot paper. Observers will be appointed to oversee the election process, and all applicable Covid-19 safety guidelines must be followed during the entire polling and counting process.

Counting of votes will commence immediately after the polls close on June 19, and the entire process is to be completed by June 23. The ECI has also scheduled bypolls in five Assembly constituencies across four states for the same day.