New Delhi, Sept. 22 -- The Election Commission on Tuesday announced Rajya Sabha elections for 12 seats across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal, with polling scheduled for October 16. The results are expected to alter the balance of parties in the Upper House, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, where 10 seats are falling vacant.

In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP-led alliance is projected to retain eight seats, while the Samajwadi Party is expected to increase its tally from one to two. The BJP alliance has around 290 MLAs in the 403-member Assembly, compared with about 103 for the SP-Congress combine. A candidate requires around 37 votes to win a seat.

The BJP can comfortably secure seven seats, while the SP-Congress combine can win two. For the 10th seat, the BJP-led alliance is expected to begin with around 31 votes against about 29 for the opposition bloc, giving it an advantage.The contest could also leave Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party without representation in Parliament. Its lone Rajya Sabha member, Ramji Gautam, retires in November. The BSP has no Lok Sabha member and lost its only Uttar Pradesh MLA, Uma Shankar Singh, after his death in August.Gautam entered the Rajya Sabha in 2020 after the BJP fielded only eight candidates for 10 seats, allowing the BSP and SP to each elect one member unopposed. His election followed the rejection of an SP-backed Independent's nomination, after which the SP alleged an understanding between the BJP and BSP.

Among the other Uttar Pradesh members whose terms end are Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, BJP leaders Arun Singh, Geeta Shakya, Neeraj Shekhar, Brijlal, B L Verma and Seema Dwivedi, and SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav. Puri's continuation in the Union Cabinet will depend on whether the BJP nominates him again.

The 10th seat, earlier held by former deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, became vacant after his resignation following his appointment as Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.In West Bengal, the BJP is expected to win the lone vacant seat, increasing its Rajya Sabha strength by one. The seat fell vacant after actor Rukmini Mallick, popularly known as Koel, resigned.In Uttarakhand, BJP member Naresh Bansal is retiring. With the BJP holding a comfortable Assembly majority, the party is expected to retain the seat.

The election notification will be issued on September 29. Nominations can be filed until October 6, while polling and counting will take place on October 16, if required.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.