Gandhinagar, May 22: The Election Commission of India has announced the biennial elections for four Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat. Voting will take place on June 18, with results declared the same day.
The terms of Ram Harji Mokriya, Amin Narhari Hira, Gohil Shakti Singh, and Ramila Ben Bara will end on June 21. Consequently, elections are being held for all four seats. Currently, Congress holds one of the four seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) occupies the other three. After Shakti Singh Gohil’s term concludes, Congress will have no representation in the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat.
However, it is likely that all seats may be uncontested in the upcoming elections. Based on the strength in the assembly, the BJP is expected to win all four seats. If this occurs, it will mark the first time since Gujarat’s statehood that Congress will have no representatives in the Rajya Sabha.
The BJP currently has 162 MLAs, with support from two independent legislators. In contrast, Congress has only 12 MLAs, along with one from the Samajwadi Party and four from the Aam Aadmi Party, one of whom has been expelled.
In addition to Gujarat, the Election Commission has announced Rajya Sabha elections for 20 seats across nine other states. The terms of 24 members from ten states will expire between June and July 2026. The commission has released the election schedule to fill these vacancies.
According to the announcement, the notification will be issued on June 1, 2026, with the last date for nominations set for June 8, 2026. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on June 9, and the last date for candidates to withdraw their nominations is June 11. Voting is scheduled for June 18, 2026, from 9 AM to 4 PM, with counting set for 5 PM the same day. The entire election process will be completed by June 20, 2026.
The commission has specified that only the designated purple sketch pens provided by the returning officer may be used during voting. Additionally, observers will be appointed to ensure the election process is free, fair, and transparent.
The list of retiring members includes four from Andhra Pradesh, four from Gujarat, two from Jharkhand, three from Madhya Pradesh, one from Manipur, one from Meghalaya, three from Rajasthan, one from Arunachal Pradesh, four from Karnataka, and one from Mizoram. Most members will retire on June 21, while some from Karnataka will retire on June 25, and a member from Mizoram will conclude their term on July 19.
Key names on the list include Ayodhya Rami Reddy Alla, Nathwani Parimal, Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, and Sanna Satish Babu from Andhra Pradesh; Ram Harji Mokriya, Amin Narhari Hira, Gohil Shakti Singh, and Ramila Ben Bara from Gujarat; and George Kurian, Digvijaya Singh, and Sumer Singh Solanki from Madhya Pradesh.
Other notable members include Maharaja Sanajaoba Laishemba from Manipur, Wanweiroy Kharluhi from Meghalaya, Neeraj Dangi, Rajendra Gehlot, and Ravneet Singh from Rajasthan, Nabam Rebia from Arunachal Pradesh, Narayan Korgappa, Iranna Kadadi, H.D. Deve Gowda, Mallikarjun Kharge from Karnataka, and K. Vanlalvena from Mizoram.
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