Rajya Sabha Elections on June 18: NDA likely to lose a seat, Opposition set to gain ground

New Delhi: The Election Commission has announced that elections for 26 Rajya Sabha seats across 12 states will be held on June 18. Current projections suggest that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) may lose one seat, while the Congress-led opposition could gain three.

These elections come as several senior members retire, including former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh, and Union Ministers Ravneet Singh and George Kurian.

The deadline for filing nominations is June 8. Of the 26 seats up for grabs, the NDA currently holds 18, Congress has 4, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) holds 1, and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has 3.

State-Wise Breakdown of Seats

• Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka: 4 seats each
• Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan: 3 seats each
• Jharkhand: 2 seats
• Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram: 1 seat each
• By-elections in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu: 1 seat each

Predicted Outcomes

The NDA is expected to win 17 seats, while the Congress may secure 5 seats. The JMM is projected to win 2 seats, and the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) could claim 1.

Rajasthan and Karnataka in Focus:

Rajasthan: BJP likely to win 2 seats; Congress 1. The state assembly currently has 118 BJP MLAs and 67 Congress MLAs.
Karnataka: Congress projected to win 3 seats; BJP 1.

Other Key States:

• Andhra Pradesh: Telugu Desam Party expected to sweep all 4 seats
• Gujarat: BJP likely to win all 4 seats
• Jharkhand: JMM-Congress alliance expected to take both seats; BJP may attempt one via cross-voting

Current Rajya Sabha Composition

The 244-member Rajya Sabha currently comprises:

• NDA: 149 seats
• Opposition: 78 seats
• Regional parties: 17 seats

By-elections:

• Maharashtra: Following NCP’s Sunetra Pawar’s resignation, NDA is favored to win
• Tamil Nadu: After AIADMK’s C. Ve. Shanmugam resigned, TVK likely to secure the seat

These elections could subtly shift the Rajya Sabha balance, giving the opposition a slightly stronger presence in the upper house.