Rajya Sabha Elections 2024: Gujarat Polls, BJP Targets Congress-Held Seats
In the state of Gujarat, the tenure of the members occupying the 4 seats in the Rajya Sabha is set to conclude in April. Today, the Central Election Commission has announced elections for 56 seats across 15 states, including the 4 seats from Gujarat in the Rajya Sabha. The elections for the 56 Rajya Sabha seats in 15 states are scheduled for February 27. The Election Commission has specified that the tenure of 56 Rajya Sabha MPs will end in April 2024, and voting will take place on February 27 from 9 am to 4 pm. The deadline for filing nominations for the election has been set for February 15.
BJP’s Focus on Two out of Four Seats in Gujarat
Gujarat has a total of 11 Rajya Sabha seats. In April 2024, amid the Lok Sabha elections, four members of the Gujarat Rajya Sabha, including BJP’s Parasottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya, as well as Congress’ Naran Rathwa and Ami Yagnik, will retire, leaving four seats vacant. Therefore, in 2024, the BJP will be vying for the two seats currently held by Congress. Although, based on the results of the Gujarat Assembly elections, the BJP is expected to secure three seats without much difficulty, the competition for the fourth seat will be significant.
In addition, three BJP members and one Congress member are set to retire in June 2026. These include BJP’s Rambhai Mokaria, Ramila Behan Bara, and Narhari Amin, along with Congress’s Shaktisinh Gohil. BJP aims to secure these four seats in 2026 with concerted efforts. Consequently, the BJP will have to wait until 2026 for all 11 Rajya Sabha seats in the state.
Here’s the list of current Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat:
| Members of the Rajya Sabha | Appointment Date | Retirement Date |
|---|---|---|
| Purushottam Rupala (BJP) | April 3, 2018 | April 2, 2024 |
| Mansukh Mandaviya (BJP) | April 3, 2018 | April 2, 2024 |
| Ami Yagnik (Congress) | April 3, 2018 | April 2, 2024 |
| Naranbhai Rathwa (Congress) | April 3, 2018 | April 2, 2024 |
| Rambhai Mokaria (BJP) | Feb 22, 2021 | June 21, 2026 |
| Ramila Behan Bara (BJP) | June 22, 2020 | June 21, 2026 |
| Narahari Amin (BJP) | June 22, 2020 | June 21, 2026 |
| Shaktisinh Gohil (Congress) | June 22, 2020 | June 21, 2026 |
| S. Jaishankar (BJP) | July 6, 2019 | Aug 18, 2023 |
| Jugalji Thakor (BJP) | July 6, 2019 | Aug 18, 2023 |
| Dinesh Chandra Anawadia (BJP) | Feb 22, 2021 | Aug 18, 2023 |
As for the current status of three MPs in Gujarat, S. Jaishankar, Jugalji Thakor, and Dinesh Chandra Anawadia have completed their three-year terms and retired. However, they were re-elected. Specifically, S. Jaishankar has been re-elected, while Babubhai Desai and Kesridev Singh Jhala were elected in place of Jugalji Thakor and Dinesh Anawadia.
The election results for the 56 seats, including 4 Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka and Gujarat, will be announced on February 27. Among these, Uttar Pradesh has the maximum of 10 seats, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar with 6 seats each, and Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal with 5 seats each. Furthermore, elections will also take place for 3 seats each in Telangana, Rajasthan, and Odisha. Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh will have voting for 1 seat each.
Polling for the 56 Rajya Sabha seats is scheduled for February 27, and the results will be declared on the same day. The Election Commission will issue a notification for the election on February 8, with the last date for nomination set for February 15. The verification of nomination papers will take place on February 16, and candidates can withdraw their names until February 20.
The Rajya Sabha elections, announced by the Election Commission amidst the parties’ preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, hold significant importance. These elections, involving 56 seats, are pivotal as they will alter the political landscape of the Upper House of Parliament.
In Himachal Pradesh, where the BJP currently holds all three Rajya Sabha seats, there will be no immediate vacancy before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, BJP President J.P. Nadda, the current MP from Himachal, is set to retire in April 2024. Given the Congress’ current majority in Himachal, it may pose a challenge for BJP to re-elect him from the state. This situation may necessitate his election to the Rajya Sabha from another state.
The Rajya Sabha was established in the country on August 23, 1954, to create a permanent house of Parliament. Unlike the Lok Sabha, which can be dissolved, the Rajya Sabha is considered a permanent body. Its members serve a tenure of six years, one year longer than elected MPs. As per Article 80 of the Constitution, the Rajya Sabha can have a total of 250 members, out of which 238 are elected from states or union territories. The remaining 12 members are nominated by the President and can be eminent personalities from various fields.
