Rajya Sabha Elections

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Why in News?

The Election Commission announced elections to 37 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 States.

Rajya Sabha elections are indirect elections where Members of State Legislative Assemblies elect representatives to the upper house of Parliament using proportional representation (Single Transferable Vote).

Description:

Constitutional Framework for Rajya Sabha:

  • Articles: Art. 80 – Composition; Art. 83(1) – Permanent House/No dissolution;
  • Art. 324 – Election Commission of India conducts the RS MP elections
  • Schedules: 4th Schedule deals with Seat allocation to States/UTs.
  • Law: Representation of the People Act, 1951 (Governs procedures).

Structure & Composition:

  • Strength: Max 250 (Current: 245).
  • Breakdown: 238 Elected (States/UTs) + 12 Nominated (President).
  • Tenure: Members serve 6-year terms; 1/3rd retire every 2 years (Continuing Chamber).

Election Mechanism:

  • Electorate: Indirect election; only elected MLAs vote (Nominated MLAs cannot).
  • System: Proportional Representation by Single Transferable Vote (STV).
  • Voting: MLAs rank candidates (1, 2, 3…) by preference.

The “Quota” Formula:

To win, a candidate needs a minimum number of votes:

  • Quota = [Total number of votes / (Number of seats to be filled + 1)] + 1
  • Note: MLA vote value is scaled to 100 to allow fractional transfers.

Rules:

  • Open Ballot: MLAs must show their ballot to the party’s authorized agent (prevents horse-trading). Violation = Invalid vote.
  • Anti-Defection Law (10th Schedule): Does not apply to Rajya Sabha voting. Cross-voting doesn’t trigger automatic disqualification from the Assembly, though parties may take internal disciplinary action.

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