Rajya Sabha elections for 27 seats will be contested on June 18, with the last day for filing nominations being Monday, June 8. Out of these 27 seats, 3 will witness bye-elections, while 24 will have biennial elections.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Rajya Sabha elections and why they matter.
Why are elections held every two years?
Representatives of the Rajya Sabha (the Upper House) are elected for a six-year term. But one-third of the Rajya Sabha members retire every second year. These vacancies filled through regular retirement are called biennial elections, and those arising due to death or disqualification are called bye-elections. Newly appointed members elected through bye-election serve for the unexpired term of the member whose seat became vacant.
Who votes in Rajya Sabha elections?
Members of the Rajya Sabha are elected indirectly. MLAs of a state elect their representative to the Rajya Sabha, whereas the representatives of the Union Territories are elected by an Electoral College. Only two Union Territories elect members to the Rajya Sabha: Delhi and Puducherry.
How are Rajya Sabha MPs elected?
Rajya Sabha elections use proportional representation by single transferable vote. MLAs vote by ranking candidates in order of preference.
The winning quota is:
Required votes = [Total valid votes ÷ (Number of Rajya Sabha seats + 1)] + 1
Ignore fractions after division.
Example: If a state has 90 MLAs and 2 Rajya Sabha seats are being elected:
90 ÷ (2 + 1) + 1 = 31
So, a candidate needs 31 first-preference votes to be safely elected.
In simple terms:
The more seats up for election, the lower the vote requirement per candidate. That is why parties calculate whether they can win one, two, or more seats based on their MLA strength.
How is the winning quota decided?
The quota depends on the number of Rajya Sabha seats to be filled, the number of elected MLAs in the Assembly and the total valid votes. Valid votes have all preferences mentioned. A ballot is considered invalid if it does not follow the election rules. Since the voting takes place through an open ballot, the MLA should show the ballot to the party’s authorised agent before putting it in the ballot box. If the MLA does not do the same, it is considered invalid.
Why do Assembly numbers matter?
Since MLAs elect the members of the Rajya Sabha, parties with more MLAs will have a higher chance of getting their candidates elected to the Rajya Sabha.
When does polling take place?
Polling only takes place when the number of candidates contesting is more than the number of Rajya Sabha seats. If the number of candidates equals the number of seats, then the candidates are elected unopposed. Since the parties have a clear understanding of their strength in the Assembly, they only nominate candidates accordingly so that their candidates are elected unopposed.
What is open ballot voting?
Before MLAs put their ballots in the box, they are required to show their ballots to their respective authorised party agent. This is done to ensure no cross-voting, horse-trading, or invalid votes. Parties encourage their own MLAs to vote for their own candidates. In some cases, MLAs can vote for candidates of other parties, which is called cross-voting.
Why does cross-voting matter?
Rajya Sabha elections are won by narrow margins, and hence changing first preferences can change the results entirely, leading to a surprise winner.
Which states should be watched?
The 10 states going for the biennial elections are: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Mizoram.
Why do Rajya Sabha elections matter nationally?
Rajya Sabha plays an important role in passing non-money bills. If the ruling party has a stronger presence in the Rajya Sabha, the passage of the bill becomes easier; however, if the Opposition has a stronger presence, there is a higher chance of debate, amendments, or committee scrutiny.
Political significance
The election plays a major role for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Indi Alliance, and the regional parties. The more seats the NDA has, the easier it gets to pass legislation, and vice versa. The opposite can be said in terms of the Opposition. Regional parties play an important role in cases where there is a tight voting between passing a bill, thereby increasing their bargaining power.
What to watch on election day?
As the Rajya Sabha elections draw closer, the key question will be whether they alter the balance of power in the Upper House.
Although Rajya Sabha members are not elected through direct public voting, these elections are a crucial test of Assembly arithmetic, alliance management, and legislative strength in Parliament.
The writer is a 2026 batch Business Standard-Rahul Khullar intern
