New Delhi: The Election Commission on Monday announced the election to three Rajya Sabha seats from Kerala as the term of the sitting members ends on July 1. The polling will take place on June 25, the Commission said in a statement. Binoy Viswam (CPI), Elamaram Kareem of CPI-M and Jose K Mani, who heads Kerala Congress (M), are retiring on July 1.
According to laid down procedures, the counting of votes will take place an hour after the polls. The notification for the polls, which marks the commencement of the nomination process, will take place on June 6. The EC also announced the by-election to the Rajya Sabha seat from Maharashtra vacated following the resignation of NCP leader Praful Patel in February.
Patel had resigned as a member of the Rajya Sabha after being re-elected to the Upper House of Parliament that month. Patel, who had four years of his tenure left from his fifth term, was fielded in the Rajya Sabha elections as he was facing a disqualification petition filed by the Sharad Pawar-led group of the NCP. The bypolls to fill this vacancy in the upper house will also be held on June 25, the EC said.
