New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced biennial elections to eight Rajya Sabha seats from the states of Tamil Nadu and Assam will be held on June 19 and the results will be declared the same day.

The biennial elections are being held as the terms of eight members of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), representing the two states, are set to expire between June and July, the Election Commission said in a statement.

From Assam, two seats will fall vacant with the retirement of Mission Ranjan Das and Birendra Prasad Baishya, both of whom will demit office on June 14.

In Tamil Nadu, six Rajya Sabha members are due to retire on July 24. They are Anbumani Ramadoss, M. Shanmugam, N. Chandrasegharan, M. Mohamed Abdulla, P. Wilson, and Vaiko.

The notification for the elections will be issued on June 2, while the last date for filing nominations is June 9.

Scrutiny of nominations will take place on June 10, and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is June 12.

The Commission has emphasised the use of only the violet sketch pens of a pre-fixed specification, provided by the Returning Officer, for marking preferences on the ballot paper. Use of any other pen will not be permitted under any circumstances.

To ensure a free and fair election, the ECI said that observers will be appointed to closely monitor the election process. Additionally, the Commission has directed that the broad Covid-19 guidelines, as issued by it from time to time and available on its website, be followed wherever applicable during the entire electoral process.

The counting of votes will begin immediately after polling ends on June 19, and the entire election process will be concluded by June 23, the Commission said in its statement.

The Election Commission had also announced bypolls to five Assembly states in four states will be held on June 19.

–IANS

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