Syllabus: GS-II, Subject: Polity, Topic: Legislature, Issue: Rajya Sabha Elections
Context: Elections to 15 Rajya Sabha seats conducted by Election Commission.
Elections to Rajya Sabha:
- Composition: Maximum strength is fixed at 250.
- 238 are elected indirectly and 12 are nominated by the president.
- The Fourth Schedule of the Constitution: allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha to the states and union territories.
- Term: 6 years as provided in the Representation of the People Act (1951)
- elections to one-third seats are held every two years.
- Procedure: Elected by the elected MLAs of the State in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
- Open ballot system – an MLA has to show the ballot paper to a nominated agent of that political party.
Can a whip be issued for Rajya Sabha election?
- A whip cannot be issued for voting in the Rajya Sabha elections as the election is not a business of the house.
- However, cross-voting can be interpreted by the speaker as “voluntarily giving up the membership of a party” and disqualification proceedings can be initiated under Xth schedule.
Prelims Connect (Terms in News):
- A whip is a written order that party members be present for an important vote, or that they vote only in a particular way.
- Proportional representation: an electoral system in which the distribution of seats corresponds closely with the proportion of the total votes cast for each party.
