Rajya Sabha Election 2022 LIVE: Voting in 16 seats to begin shortly, interesting battle expected

The Rajya Sabha elections 2022, to fill the 16 vacant seats in four states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana and Karnataka will begin in a short while. Voting will take place in six seats of Maharashtra, two in Haryana and five each in Karnataka and Rajasthan amid allegations and counter allegations of horse trading by rival parties.

The Rajya Sabha Election Result 2022 will be announced today itself. The Rajya Sabha Election was scheduled to take place on 57 vacant seats today but most candidates were elected unopposed. The candidates whose fate will be decided in these elections include Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal.

Read | Rajya Sabha Elections on June 10: All you need to know

Besides, Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh and Mukul Wasnik and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut are the prominent faces whose political fate will be decided today. All these leaders are expected to win without any hassle.

At present, the Rajya Sabha has 245 members, including 233 elected members and 12 nominated. As per the constitutional limit, the Upper House strength should not exceed 250. While 233 members are elected from states and Union Territories (UTs), President of India nominates the remaining 12 from the fields of art, literature, science and social services. 

Voting for six seats in Maharashtra

Voting will be held for six seats in Maharashtra. After more than two decades, Rajya Sabha elections will be held in Maharashtra as seven candidates are in the fray for six seats. Allies of the ruling MVA - Shiv Sena, NCP, Congress have kept their MLAs in various hotels and resorts in Mumbai. Sources in the ruling coalition said that they will leave for the state assembly just before the start of polling.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Congress general secretary Mallikarjun Kharge and BJP leader and Union minister Ashwini Vaishnav held talks with leaders of their respective parties in Mumbai to finalise their strategy.

Voting for 2 seats in Haryana

Voting will be held for two seats in Haryana and meanwhile legislators of the ruling BJP and some of its ally JJP were kept at a resort near Chandigarh for the second day. Congress MLAs are also staying in a resort in Chhattisgarh amid fears of horse-trading.

Asked about the growing threat of horse-trading by rival parties, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar told reporters in New Delhi, "We have appointed special observers in all the four places (states). The entire process will be videographed."

Chances of direct victory of BJP in Haryana

Though the BJP, with 40 MLAs in the 90-member Haryana Assembly, has nine more than the 31 first preference votes needed for a straight victory, the election for the second seat has turned interesting.

The BJP has fielded former minister Krishan Lal Panwar, while former Union minister Ajay Maken is the Congress candidate. The Congress has 31 members in the state assembly, which is enough to help its candidate win one seat.

In the event of cross voting, its prospects may be in jeopardy. Kuldeep Bishnoi, younger son of former Haryana chief minister late Bhajan Lal, is reportedly upset with the party as he was not given any post in the newly formed state Congress unit in April.

In the ninety-member Haryana Assembly, the BJP has 40 MLAs while the Congress has 31. BJP's ally JJP has 10 MLAs, while the Indian National Lok Dal and Haryana Lokhit Party have one MLA each. There are seven independents.

6 candidates in fray for four seats in Karnataka

In Karnataka, the main opposition Congress and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's JD(S) are fighting for the four seats, but if one of them backs the other, one can be sure of victory. Altogether six candidates are in the fray for the four seats, giving a tough fight. Despite not having numbers, the BJP, Congress and JD(S) have fielded candidates for the seat, forcing an election.

(With Agency Inputs)