ECI announces bypolls to two Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu
New Delhi, May 22
The Election Commission of India has announced bypolls to the Council of States on Friday, to fill two casual vacancies arising from Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
According to a press note issued on Friday, the vacancies have arisen following the resignations of two members from the Upper House.
The first vacancy is from Maharashtra, caused by the resignation of Sunetra Ajit Pawar on May 6. Her term was originally scheduled to continue till July 4, 2028. The second vacancy is from Tamil Nadu, following the resignation of C.Ve. Shanmugam on May 7. His term was to continue until June 29, 2028.
The Commission has decided to conduct the bye-elections in accordance with the schedule notified in the press release. The notification for the elections will be issued on June 1.
The last date for filing nominations is June 8, while scrutiny of nominations will take place on June 9. Candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations until June 11.
Polling will be held on June 18 (Thursday), from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Counting of votes will also take place on the same day at 5:00 p.m. The entire election process is scheduled to be completed by June 20 (Saturday), as directed by the Commission.
The Election Commission has also issued specific instructions regarding the voting procedure. It stated that for marking preferences on ballot papers, only integrated violet-coloured sketch pens of pre-fixed specification provided by the Returning Officer will be permitted. The use of any other pen will not be allowed under any circumstances.
In addition, the Commission has directed that adequate arrangements will be made to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. This includes the deployment of observers to closely monitor the entire electoral process.
The bye-elections are being conducted to ensure proper representation of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu in the Rajya Sabha for the remaining duration of the respective terms.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Two seats from different states, but the process is the same. I hope the observers ensure it's truly fair. Too much drama in Rajya Sabha elections these days.
Standard procedure for casual vacancies. The timeline is clear. But why only 2 seats? I thought there were more pending bypolls. Anyway, let the process play out.
The ballpoint pen rule is interesting! Only violet sketch pens allowed, no other pen. Makes sense to avoid fraud. But I hope the officials actually check properly.
Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu both losing members who resigned. Interesting timing. Let's see who gets the seats in the end.
Good that ECI is conducting these bypolls efficiently. The timeline is tight but manageable. Let's hope the voting is peaceful.
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