The Election Commission has announced bypolls for three vacant Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal. Voting will take place on July 24, with nominations open until July 14.
The seats became vacant after former Trinamool Congress MPs Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Baraik resigned from the Rajya Sabha and the party in June.
Rajya Sabha members are elected by MLAs through a proportional representation system using a single transferable vote. Each seat in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly has a winning quota of 74 votes.
Political observers expect the BJP to win all three seats without a major challenge. If that happens, the party’s strength in the Rajya Sabha will rise from 114 to 117. The NDA’s total in the Upper House will increase to 155 members.
The NDA will still remain nine seats short of the two-thirds majority required to pass constitutional amendment bills in the Rajya Sabha. Such a majority is important for key proposals, including advancing the implementation of women’s reservation and moving forward with the One Nation, One Election plan.
The bypoll results are expected to strengthen the BJP’s position in the Upper House, though they will not give the alliance the numbers needed for constitutional amendments.