New Delhi, May 24: Elections to 60 Rajya Sabha seats will be held on June 21 to fill vacancies caused by retirement of several members including deputy chairperson Najma Heptulla, BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu and Union minister Oscar Fernandes. The elections will cover 14 states with a maximum of 11 members retiring from Uttar Pradesh followed by six each from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, five from Bihar and four each from Karnataka and Rajasthan.
The exercise includes three by-polls caused by the death of K M Khan of Andhra Pradesh, Gurcharan Singh of Punjab and Abrar Ahmed of Rajasthan.
According to election schedule announced by the EC today, notifications would be issued on June 04, the last date for filing nominations would June 11, scrutiny would take place the next day and withdrawals could be made till June 14.
The elections are expected to provide an opportunity to home minister Shivraj Patil, power minister P M Sayeed and programme implementation minister Oscar Fernandes to enter Parliament to fulfil the mandatory requirement of becoming a member of either house within six months of appointment.
Bureau Report