New Delhi, February 18 The BJP is set to gain strength in the Rajya Sabha when 37 seats go for biennial elections on March 16, as it has governments or is an alliance partner in six of the 10 states where seats are falling vacant.
The 37 seats will become vacant on April 2 and 9.
According to the Election Commission, the states where seats are falling vacant are Maharashtra (7 seats), Odisha (4 seats), Telangana (2 seats), Tamil Nadu (6 seats), Chhattisgarh (2 seats), West Bengal (5 seats), Assam (3 seats), Haryana (2 seats), Himachal Pradesh (1 seat) and Bihar (5 seats).
Notifications for the elections will be issued on February 26, and as per established practice, polling on March 16 will be held between 9 am and 4 pm, and votes will be counted from 5 pm on the same day.
The BJP has governments, or is an alliance partner in Maharashtra, Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Assam. This will help the party gain numbers in the upper house.
In Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal, opposition parties run the respective state governments.
In Maharashtra, if the opposition MVA puts up a united fight, it can send one candidate to the Rajya Sabha. As many as seven seats are falling vacant in the state.
Among the prominent MPs retiring are Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP), Abhishek Singhvi (Congress), Saket Gokhale (TMC), Ramdas Athawale (RPI-A), M Thambidurai (AIADMK) and Tiruchi Siva (DMK).
