Dynamite News Voting underway for Rajya Sabha elections
Voting for the elections to fill the vacant 18 seats in Rajya Sabha began today. The polls to the Upper House seats from seven states were earlier scheduled to be held on March 26. However, they were deferred in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.
New Delhi: Voting for the elections to fill the vacant 18 seats in Rajya Sabha began today. The polls to the Upper House seats from seven states were earlier scheduled to be held on March 26. However, they were deferred in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan cast his vote for #RajyaSabhaElection at the state Assembly in Bhopal. pic.twitter.com/BB2l5tYGcF
— ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2020
In Madhya Pradesh, buses carrying Congress MLAs, left from party leader Kamal Nath's residence, for the state Legislative Assembly in Bhopal for voting. State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also cast his vote.
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Meanwhile, three buses, carrying BJP MLAs, reached Rajasthan Legislative Assembly in Jaipur. The voting started from 9.00 am and will be continued till 4.00 pm. The counting will take place at 5.00 pm. The polling is being held for the states of Andhra Pradesh (four seats), Gujarat (four seats), Jharkhand (two seats), Madhya Pradesh (three seats), Manipur (one seat), Meghalaya (one seat) and Rajasthan (three seats).
It is very clear that we will win one seat in the #RajyaSabhaElection: Former Chief Minister & Congress leader Kamal Nath after casting his vote at the state Assembly in Bhopal.
— ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2020
Voting is currently underway for three Rajya Sabha seats of the state. https://t.co/mSJLIMQ0cD pic.twitter.com/DOHC37sC7o
The polling process has been marred with controversy as the Congress recently alleged that BJP was engaged in horse-trading. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had said that the Rajya Sabha elections could have been conducted two months back. However, they were postponed for "no reason because BJP's horse-trading was not complete".
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Rajasthan: Three buses, carrying BJP MLAs, reach state legislative assembly in Jaipur ahead of the polling for #RajyaSabhaElection today. In the state, polling for three seats to be held. pic.twitter.com/1lyvD51Bbt
— ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2020
Similarly, in Gujarat too, on June 12, a delegation of Congress leaders submitted a memorandum to Election Commission alleging "misuse and abuse of official machinery by the ruling party in the state to harass party MLAs".
Several Congress MLAs were shifted to various resorts after three of its legislators resigned from the Gujarat Assembly. (ANI)