New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) Voting for the biennial elections to 37 seats in the Rajya Sabha will take place on Monday, with polling scheduled from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. and counting of votes will begin at 5:00 P.M. the same day, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The ECI has put in place a detailed schedule to ensure the smooth conduct of the electoral process. Elections are being held to fill 37 seats of the Rajya Sabha across 10 states.

The seat distribution includes seven seats from Maharashtra, six from Tamil Nadu, five each from Bihar and West Bengal, four from Odisha, three from Assam, two seats each from Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Haryana, and one seat from Himachal Pradesh. These seats are falling vacant as the terms of the sitting members from these states are set to expire in April, prompting the biennial elections to fill the vacancies in the Upper House.

The Election Commission had announced the schedule for the biennial polls earlier on February 18 to fill these vacancies.

Among those whose terms in the Upper House are set to expire in April are Union Ministers Ramnath Thakur and Ramdas Athawale, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh, Sharad Pawar of the NCP-SP, Upendra Kushwaha of the RLM, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai, and DMK leader Tiruchi Siva.

The poll body has directed that only integrated violet-coloured sketch pens of a pre-fixed specification, provided by the Returning Officer, must be used to mark preferences on the ballot paper. No other pen will be permitted for voting.

The Commission has also said that observers will be appointed to closely monitor the process to ensure that the elections are conducted in a free and fair manner.

Unlike the Lok Sabha, which is elected for a five-year term and can be dissolved, the Rajya Sabha is a permanent house and continues to function without interruption. Members of the Upper House serve a six-year term, with one-third of the members retiring every two years. Elections are held to fill these vacancies, ensuring continuity and experience in the House.

–IANS

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