21:15 June 19
Counting of votes was delayed in Gujarat as the Congress demanded that the Election Commission invalidate two BJP votes on different grounds.
Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani said the Congress has sought cancellation of votes cast by BJP MLA Kesrisinh Solanki and minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama.
"As long as our grievances about voting are not dealt with, counting will not start. We submitted our objections to the EC representative here after voting ended," said Dhanani.
21:14 June 19
Mizo National Front candidate K Vanlalvena elected to the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Mizoram in a triangular contest.
19:09 June 19
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) President Shibu Soren and BJP state President Deepak Prakash have won a seat each from Jharkhand. Soren got 31 votes, while Prakash got 30 votes. Congress nominee Shahzada Anwa managed 18 votes.
18:49 June 19
Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Neeraj Dangi have won a seat each from Rajasthan. While the BJP has won the remaining seat in the state.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot confirmed the news tweeting, "Congratulations to Congress national general secretary KC Venugopal ji and Neeraj Dangi ji for winning Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan. It is a victory of the ideology, policies and programmes of Congress Party under the leadership of CP Smt Sonia Gandhi ji."
18:49 June 19
BJP's Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sumer Singh Solanki have won a seat each from Madhya Pradesh while former CM Digvijaya Singh won the other seat for Congress party.
18:48 June 19
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) wins all four Rajya Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh.
18:44 June 19
Speaking to media, after the voting, Gujarat deputy chief minister Nitin Patel said that the BJP will win all the thress Rajya Sabha seats in the state.
"We have cast our votes and I am sure that the BJP is going to win all three seats in the state," he said.
18:34 June 19
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma confirmed that National People's Party candidate WR Kharlukhi has won from the Meghalaya Rajya Sabha seat.
"Congratulations Dr WR Kharlukhi for being elected to the Rajya Sabha from Meghalaya. I thank all the MDA partners for bestowing their support to the National People’s Party," tweeted Sangma.
18:32 June 19
Despite the ongoing turmoil in Manipur and setback for it in the state Assembly, BJP emerged on top and secured the lone seat in the state.
BJP candidate Leisemba Sanajaoba defeated Congress' T Mangi Babu.
17:38 June 19
The counting of votes is currently underway after polling ended in all the eight states.
16:13 June 19
Polling was underway for two Rajya Sabha seats in Jharkhand, where three candidates are in the fray, including ruling JMM founder and former chief minister Shibu Soren.
15:24 June 19
The polling in Madhya Pradesh has concluded as all 206 MLAs cast their votes at the state Assembly in Bhopal.
BJPs Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sumer Singh Solanki are expected to comfortably win the polls as the saffron party has the support of 112 in the 230-member Assembly.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is also all set to sail through as the grand party has 92 MLAs in the Assembly.
15:01 June 19
Amaravati:TDP leader and former Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu cast his vote for Rajya Sabha elections. There are four Rajya Sabha seats in the state.
14:58 June 19
Bhopal: A Congress MLA who had tested positive for COVID19, arrived at the state legislative assembly in Bhopal to cast his vote. Voting is currently underway for three Rajya Sabha seats of the state.
State legislative assembly premises is being sanitised after he cast his vote.
13:22 June 19
Guajarat: Former BJP Rajya Sabha MP Bharat Singh Parmar meets the BTP MLAs who decided not to vote in the Rajya Sabha polls over their demand for a written assurance about the welfare of tribals, migrants and Dalits.
13:18 June 19
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh arrives at the state Assembly to cast his vote for one seat of Rajya Sabha.
12:36 June 19
Congress' internal disputes will come out after RS poll results: Gujarat CM
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Friday said that the Congress has internal disputes and after the Rajya Sabha election results these will be out in the open.
The comments of the Gujarat Chief Minister came at the state Assembly in Gandhinagar where he had gone to cast his vote. "The voting for Rajya Sabha elections has started. All the candidates of BJP will win. Congress knows that it will not win the election as their every strategy has failed and BJP's all MLAs are together," Rupani said.
"Congress has internal disputes and after the results (Rajya Sabha) these will come out," Rupani added.
12:29 June 19
I'm positive about our candidates winning 2 seats in Gujarat, says Congress leader Hardik Patel
11:59 June 19
Jaipur: Congress leader Avinash Pandey targets BJP over Madhya Pradesh politics
11:53 June 19
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani cast his vote for Rajya Sabha election at the state Assembly in Ahmedabad.
11:44 June 19
Gujarat RS polls: 2 BTP MLAs decide not to vote over their demands
Just before the polling for four Rajya Seats in Gujarat began on Friday morning, two Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) MLAs said that they would not cast their votes until they are given a written assurance about the welfare of tribals, migrants and Dalits.
Votes of BTP chief Chhotu Vasava and his son Mahesh Vasava are crucial for both the BJP and the Congress in this election.
"We will not give our votes unless and until we get a written assurance. We are an independent party, which keeps distance from both the BJP and the Congress," Mahesh Vasava told reporters.
"My father and I have decided not to cast our votes until we get an assurance about the implementation of schedule 5 of the Constitution and PESA Act. Although our votes are important, people whom we represent are more important to us," he added.
PESA Act refers to the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act.
"Despite repeated representation to both the parties in the past, they did nothing for the welfare of ST, SC, OBC, minority and migrant workers," he alleged.
"We will think about voting only after getting an assurance," Vasava said.
11:43 June 19
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan cast his vote for Rajya Sabha election at the state Assembly in Bhopal.
11:32 June 19
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy cast his vote for the Rajya Sabha election, at state Assembly in Amaravati.
Voting is underway for four Rajya Sabha seats of the state.
10:56 June 19
Meghalaya: Voting is underway for one seat of Rajya Sabha, at the state Assembly in Shillong.
10:51 June 19
"Independent MLAs Saryu Rai & Amit Yadav have extended their support to BJP and we hope to get the support of 2 other MLAs. With 32 votes, we hope to sent Deepak Prakash to Rajya Sabha," said BJP MLA Biranchi Narayan on Friday.
Voting is underway for 2 Rajya Sabha seats at the state Assembly in Ranchi, where three candidates are in the fray, including ruling JMM founder and former chief minister Shibu Soren.
Congress leader Shahzada Anwar and BJP state chief Deepak Prakash are the two other candidates.
Seventy-nine MLAs in the 82-member House are eligible for casting their votes.
While the only nominated MLA has no right to vote in the Rajya Sabha elections, two assembly seats fell vacant after Chief Minister Hemant Soren gave up Dumka, while retaining Barhait, following state polls, and senior Congress MLA Rajendra Prasad Singh died last month, leaving Bermo constituency without a representative.
10:09 June 19
"It is very clear that we will win one seat in the Rajya Sabha Election," said Former Chief Minister & Congress leader Kamal Nath after casting his vote at the state Assembly in Bhopal.
Voting is currently underway for three Rajya Sabha seats of the state.
09:57 June 19
Gujarat: BJP MLA from Matar assembly constituency, Kesarisinh Jesangbhai Solanki arrives at legislative assembly in an ambulance. He was admitted at hospital following a health issue & reached here directly from the hospital. Polling for 3 Rajya Sabha seats of state is underway.
09:38 June 19
Madhya Pradesh: Buses carrying Congress MLAs, leave from party leader Kamal Nath's residence, for the state legislative assembly in Bhopal ahead of Rajya Sabha election today. Voting to be held for three Rajya Sabha seats of the state today.
09:33 June 19
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh visits Chintaman Ganesh temple ahead of Rajya Sabha polls
09:19 June 19
Rajasthan: Three buses, carrying BJP MLAs, reach state legislative assembly in Jaipur ahead of the polling for Rajya Sabha Election today. In the state, polling for three seats to be held.
09:16 June 19
Jharkhand: Polling for 24 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states to be held today. In Jharkhand, polling to be held on two Rajya Sabha seats. Visuals from state legislative assembly in Ranchi.
09:12 June 19
Gujarat: Polling for Rajya Sabha Election to take place today. In the state, polling to be held on four Rajya Sabha seats. Visuals from state legislative assembly in Gandhinagar.
09:07 June 19
Scindia, Digvijaya set to enter Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh
BJP candidates Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sumer Singh Solanki, and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Thursday looked set to sail through on the eve of Rajya Sabha election to three seats in Madhya Pradesh.
The Congress's other nominee Phool Singh Baraiya, a Dalit leader, however, stands a very slim chance of making it to the upper house of Parliament in the election.
The ruling BJP is in a comfortable position to get elected its two candidates, as it has 107 MLAs of its own and enjoys the support of two MLAs of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), one MLA of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and two Independents whereas the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has asked 54 of its 92 MLAs to cast their first preference vote for Digvijaya.
The former chief minister needs 52 votes to get elected to Rajya Sabha for the second consecutive term.
09:06 June 19
Amid COVID-19 threat, Gujarat government issues SOP for Rajya Sabha polls
The Gujarat government's Health and Family Welfare Department has issued a special Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the MLAs who were hospitalised for testing positive for COVID-19, or were in home/ institutional quarantine, for voting in the Rajya Sabha polls.
The Rajya Sabha elections for four seats in Gujarat are scheduled on Friday. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the Election Commission to reschedule the dates of the elections, which were earlier scheduled to be held on March 26.
The state government has issued an SOP for the MLAs who will vote for the Rajya Sabha polls. There are five candidates for the four seats in Gujarat, and looking at the strength of the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, it will be a tough fight for the fourth seat where every single vote will count.
To ensure that no party faces any disadvantage because of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Health and Family Welfare Department has issued an SOP, so that even if a legislator is infected or is a suspect case, he/she is able to cast his/her vote.
06:46 June 19
The polling will begin at 9 am and conclude at 4 pm. The counting of votes will be done on the same day by 5 pm.
The polls were originally scheduled for March 26, which got deferred because of the coronavirus outbreak.
06:21 June 19
Rajya Sabha Polls 2020: YSRCP bags all 4 seats in Andhra; BJP wins 2 in MP
New Delhi: Elections for 19 Rajya Sabha seats spread across eight states will be held on Friday with the contest in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan promising to be a close affair between the BJP and the Congress.
Voting for 18 seats were deferred due to the coronavirus pandemic. Later the Election Commission announced polls for fours seats in Karnataka and one seat each in Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.
Of the 19 seats where polling will be held, four each are from Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, three each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, two from Jharkhand, and one each from Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya.
The election in Manipur is also likely to be interesting following the resignation of nine members of the ruling coalition and the opposition Congress pressing for a no-confidence motion against the N Biren Singh government. The BJP has fielded Leisemba Sanajaoba, the titular king of Manipur, while the Congress nominee is T Mangi Babu.
In Karnataka, where elections were to be held for four seats, all the candidates -- former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, BJP candidates Iranna Kadadi and Ashok Gasti -- have been declared elected unopposed.
BJP nominee Nabam Rebia was also elected unopposed to the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Arunachal Pradesh.
The counting of votes for all the 19 seats will be held on the evening of June 19 itself, the Election Commission said.
Legislators vote to elect candidates for the Upper House of Parliament.
The Election Commission (EC) has made elaborate arrangements for the voting keeping in mind the coronavirus pandemic. Every voter (MLA) will be screened for body temperature and will have use mask and adhere to social distancing norms. Legislators having a fever or showing other symptoms will be kept in a separate waiting room.
With many MLAs switching sides, the past few months have seen parties indulging in 'resort politics' to keep their flock together. Several MLAs have been lodged in resorts to stop them from "poaching" by rival factions.
In Gujarat, the contest is likely to go down to the wire as both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress do not have absolute numbers in the assembly to get all their candidates win on their own.
The BJP has fielded three candidates -- Abhay Bharadwaj, Ramila Bara and Narhari Amin -- for the four seats, while the Congress, which has seen desertions in its legislative ranks, has given tickets to two nominees Shaktisinh Gohil and Bharatsinh Solanki.
The BJP, with its current numbers in the 182-member assembly, can win two seats, while the Congress on the basis of its House strength can bag one. A tough fight is expected for the fourth seat.
Notwithstanding their respective numbers, both the parties have expressed hope that all their candidates will sail through.
Considering that the effective strength of the assembly is reduced to 172, a candidate will require support of minimum 35 MLAs to win, as per the RS election standard formula. Ten assembly seats are currently vacant -- eight due to resignations of Congress MLAs and two due to court cases.
With 65 MLAs and one independent (Jignesh Mewani) supporting its candidates, the Congress will still need the backing of four more MLAs to win both the seats. While the BJPs House strength is 103, it will require support of 105 MLAs to win the three seats.
The faith of the fourth seat will be decided by the two Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) MLAs and one of the NCP.
Both the BJP and the Congress have fielded two candidates each for the three seats in Madhya Pradesh. While the BJP's candidates are former Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sumer Singh Solanki, the Congress has named Digvijaya Singh and Dalit leader Phool Singh Baraiya.
In the 230-member assembly, the BJP currently has 107 MLAs and also enjoys the support of two legislators of the Bahujan Samaj Party, one of the Samajwadi Party and two Independents, while the opposition Congress has 92 MLAs.
Currently, the effective strength of the House is 206, as 24 seats are lying vacant.
While the BJP is expected to win two seats and the Congress one seat, the fight will be for the fourth slot.
In Rajasthan, both the ruling Congress and opposition BJP have lodged their legislators in different hotels after accusing each other of poaching MLAs.
For the three seats up for grabs, four candidates (two from Congress and as many from BJP) have filed nomination papers. The Congress has nominated K C Venugopal and Neeraj Dangi, while the BJP has fielded Rajendra Gehlot and Onkar Singh Lakhawat.
In the house of 200, the Congress has 107 MLAs and has the support of independent MLAs and legislators of other parties like Rashtriya Lok Dal, CPI (M) and Bhartiya Tribal Party (BTP).
The ruling party has more than enough majority to win two seats and the opposition BJP, which has 72 MLAs and support of three Rashtriya Loktantrik Party MLAs, has the numbers to comfortably win one seat.
Fifty-one votes are needed for one candidate to win and the Congress is in a comfortable position to ensure the victory of both of its candidates, while BJP's only one candidate can win as per the numbers.
After 51 votes to its first candidate Rajendra Gehlot, BJP's spare votes will go to second candidate Onkar Singh Lakhawat.
In Andhra Pradesh, the ruling YSR Congress is poised to win all the four seats given its formidable strength in the state assembly. This is the first time that an election is being conducted for Rajya Sabha seats from the state, post-bifurcation in 2014.
With a strength of 151 in the 175-member assembly and the support of four "rebel" legislators of TDP and Jana Sena, the YSRC is comfortably placed to win all four. Minimum 36 votes are required for a candidate to win from Andhra Pradesh.
The TDP, with just 20 out of 23 MLAs remaining on its side, stands no chance whatsoever to win the lone seat it is contesting.
From the YSRC, Deputy Chief Minister Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao, realtor A Ayodhya Rami Reddy and Reliance Industries Senior Group president Parimal Nathwaniare in the fray. The TDP has fielded its politburo member Varla Ramaiah.
Originally the elections were to take place on March 26 for 55 Upper House seats, but 37 candidates have already been elected without a contest. The EC had deferred the March 26 Rajya Sabha elections citing the threat of the novel coronavirus.
JMM president Shibu Soren, Congress candidate Shahzada Anwar and BJP state chief Deepak Prakash are in the fray for the two Rajya Sabha seats in Jharkhand.
The ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) in Meghalaya has fielded W R Kharlukhi for the lone seat and he will be up against Kennedy Khyriem of the Congress.
The MDA has the support of 41 MLAs in the House while the Congress has 19 legislators in the 60-member House. Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement legislator Adelbert Nongrum who supports thee MDA has decided to abstain from voting.
The election to Mizoram's lone seat is likely to witness a triangular contest. The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) has fielded the party's national core committee member K Kanlalvena, while the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and the Congress nominated B Lalchhanzova and Lallianchhunga respectively.
In the 40-member Mizoram Assembly, the MNF has 27 members, ZPM seven, Congress five and the BJP has one MLA.
Inputs from agencies