Elections to 56 Rajya Sabha seats on March 26

The Election Commission has announced that elections to 56 Rajya Sabha seats will be held on March 26 following retirement of as many members. Following the elections, the UPA will be reduced to a minority in the Upper House of Parliament. Bye-election to one seat from Bihar following the death of RJD member Motiur Rahman would also be held on March 26, the Election Commission said.

The largest number of seven members are retiring from Maharashtra followed by six each from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, five each from West Bengal and Bihar and four each from Orissa and Gujarat. Three members from Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Rajasthan, two each from Jharkhand, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and one each from Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh would retire in April. Elections to four seats from Karnataka would not be held following dissolution of the Assembly there.