Polls to 5 Punjab RS seats on March 21
Thursday, 25/02/2016
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NEW DELHI: Biennial elections to five Punjab Rajya Sabha seats will be held on March 21, along with eight other seats in five more states.
Of the 13 seats in six states, 12 are falling vacant in April, the Election Commission announced on Wednesday. In Punjab, where five seats are falling vacant, two each belong to the Congress and SAD, whereas one belongs to the BJP.
While the sole seat from Nagaland was also to fall vacant in April, sitting MP Khekiho Zimomi of Naga People’s Front passed away in November last. The election to that seat is also being held with others. Of these seats, five are currently with the Congress, two each with the BJP and SAD and three with the CPM.
While the notification would be issued on March 4, the elections would be held on March 21. The counting of votes would take place the same day, the EC said.
The commission said that of the five seats to be filled from Punjab, three are to be filled by holding one election and the other two through another election. But the dates and times of the two polls are the same.
The EC explained that separate polls are necessary as these seats “belong to two different biennial cycles”.
“Further, the term of office of the members to be elected to the council of states (Rajya Sabha) from Punjab shall be subject to the decision of the Supreme Court in a case pending before it (EC vs Devesh Chandra Thajur and others),” it said.
In Tripura, the seat falling vacant belongs to CPM. In Kerala, where three vacancies are being created, two seats belong to CPM and one to the Congress. In Assam, both the seats falling vacant now belong to the Congress, while in Himachal the sole seat falling vacant is currently being held by the BJP.
Prominent members whose ter m ends include for mer defence minister AK Antony, former law minister Ashwani Kumar and former CEC MS Gill.
