RS Elections: BJP Wins 12 of 26 Seats up for Grabs From 7 States

Read Up! Rajya Sabha Polls: All You Need To Know

The BJP won big in the Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh with 9 seats in a huge setback for the BSP. The elections were held in six states on Friday, 23 March.

Meanwhile, in Karnataka, the Congress bagged three seats and the BJP won one. Telangana's ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi bagged all three seats in the state.

In West Bengal, four seats were won by TMC, and one by Congress. The BJP claimed the seat in Chhattisgarh and MP Veerendra Kumar, the state president of the Janata Dal (U) Sharad Yadav faction, retained his seat in Kerala.

In Jharkhand, the Congress and BJP won a seat each.

In Jharkhand, one seat went to Congress and one to BJP. The BJP's Sameer Uranv and Congress' Dheeraj Sahu won the two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand, declared the Returning Officer.

Speaking to ANI, Sahu said that the elections were different this time around, as the party had deal with fake allegations and mud-slinging.

Nine out of ten Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh were won by the BJP while one seat was bagged by SP candidate Jaya Bachchan.

Addressing a press conference after the party’s victory, UP CM Yogi Adityanath congratulated the victors, calling it a ‘massive win’ for the state.

The BSP, meanwhile, has alleged sabotage by the BJP, accusing them of using “money power and state powers” in the voting process.

While the ruling Congress in Karnataka bagged three Rajya Sabha seats, the BJP could only win one in the biennial election.

Congress' Dr L Hanumanthaiah, Dr Syed Naseer Hussain and GC Chandrasekhar and the BJP's Rajeev Chandrashekar were declared elected by the returning officer.

TRS candidates B Prakash, B Lingaiah Yadav and J Santosh Kumar elected to Rajya Sabha from Telangana.

Election Commission has rejected the complaint against Jharkhand Vikas Morcha MLA Prakash Ram after reviewing the CCTV video. It was alleged that he did not show his ballot paper to the party's authorised representative after casting vote.

Four out of five Rajya Sabha seats in West Bengal were won by the Trinamool Congress while one went to the Congress’ Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

MP Veerendra Kumar, the state president of the Janata Dal (U) Sharad Yadav faction, was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Kerala.

Kumar, who was supported by the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF, polled 89 votes, while B Babu Prasad, the opposition UDF candidate, got 40 votes in the election held to one seat from the state, official sources said.

The election was held after the seat fell vacant when Kumar resigned from the Upper House of Parliament as a mark of protest against JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joining hands with BJP-led NDA.

Trinamool Congress’ Abir Ranjan Biswas won one of the five Rajya Sabha seats in West Bengal.

BJP's Saroj Pandey wins Rajya Sabha seat from Chhattisgarh by beating the Congress' Lekhram Sahu.

BJP congratulated Pandey on Twitter on her win.

Counting of votes for the 26 Rajya Sabha seats in six states begins amid reports of cross-voting.

Election Commission held back permission to begin the counting of votes for Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh over objections in ballot papers and in Karnataka over complaints of discrepancy.

All India Congress Committee gives memorandum to Election Commision requesting it to issue directions to the concerned Returning Officer to cancel vote cast by Jharkhand Vikas Morcha MLA Prakash Ram. The AICC alleged that Prakash Ram intentionally didn't show ballot paper and concealed marked column.

In response, Election Commission of India said, “ECI has received a complaint from Jharkhand Vikas Morcha for cancellation of vote of Prakash Ram, who cross- voted. Further view will be taken by the Commission after receiving Returning Officer's report.”

The Janata Dal (Secular) cried foul demanding cancellation of Rajya Sabha Elections in Karnataka, News18 reported.

The JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy alleged that the returning officer favoured the ruling Congress and that two MLAs from the Congress cross-voted for the BJP, News18 added.

Bharatiya Janata Party's Karnataka president BS Yeddyurappa is confident on their candidate Rajeev Chandrashekhar winning the seat in the Rajya Sabha election.

"BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar will get at least 50 votes. He will win with a majority. I congratulate all MLAs voting for him", News18 quoted Yeddyurappa as saying.

Three Rajya Sabha seats are up for grabs in Telangana, four in Karnataka and one in Chhattisgarh.

With more than enough votes to win four Rajya Sabha seats, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered to lend her surplus votes to Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi. With the Trinamool’s votes adding to Congress party’s tally, Singhvi is likely to cross the required threshold to win the seat.

The voting for 26 Rajya Sabha seats in six states begins.

Voting in the six states – Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Telangana – will be held between 9 am and 4 pm on Friday. The polls are to fill 26 of 59 Rajya Sabha seats which are vacant; 33 candidates were elected unopposed earlier.

The counting of votes is to be done in the evening.

The term of the office of 58 members of the Rajya Sabha from 16 states is due to expire on their retirement in April-May 2018. Apart from these vacancies, an additional vacancy in Kerala needs to be filled.