Elections for pending 18 Rajya Sabha seats on June 19

Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced the biennial elections for 18 Rajya Sabha seats on June 19.

The Election Commission had earlier deferred the poll and extended the period of said election and decided that the announcement of the fresh date of poll and counting for the said biennial elections will be made by the ECI after reviewing the prevailing situation of public health emergency due to COVID-19 and related advisories in the country.

ECI in a statement said, “Considering all factors, including the guidelines dated 30.05.2020 issued by Union Home Secretary and Chairman, National Executive Committee (NEC) under the National Disaster Management Act, 2005, and taking into account the inputs obtained from the Chief Electoral Officers concerned, the Commission has decided that the date of poll and counting of votes in respect of the biennial elections for 18 seats from the States of Andhra Pradesh (4 seats), Gujarat (4 seats), Jharkhand (2 seats), Madhya Pradesh (3 seats), Manipur (1 seat), Meghalaya (1 seat) and Rajasthan (3 seats) shall be as per the following schedule: ” 

ECI has also decided that the Chief Secretaries shall depute a senior officer from the State to ensure that the extant instructions regarding COVID-19 containment measures are complied with while making arrangements for conducting the elections.