Congress set to retain its seats in Rajya Sabha

The Congress is set to win 17 of 55 Rajya Sabha seats going to polls this month. The party, whose 18 members are retiring from 13 states by the first week of July, would thus retain almost the same number of seats in the Upper House after the polls.

The Congress is set to win 17 of 55 Rajya Sabha seats going to polls this month.

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The party, whose 18 members are retiring from 13 states by the first week of July, would thus retain almost the same number of seats in the Upper House after the polls.

Congress sources said there might be a few surprises in some states, which might increase the party’s overall tally.

Of the 55 seats, six vacancies each would have to be filled in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh will account for 11 seats followed by Bihar (5), Karnataka and Rajasthan (4 each), Madhya Pradesh and Orissa (3 each), Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Jharkhand (2 each) and Uttarakhand (1).

The poll in Andhra is scheduled for June 14, and in the 12 other states on June 17.

On its own, the Congress is certain to win four seats in Andhra Pradesh, three in Rajasthan, two each in Karnataka and Maharashtra and one each in Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.

However, the party is unlikely to get any seat in Bihar, Orissa and Uttarakhand.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has completed discussions with leaders and party leaders of all the states going to polls.

The party is likely to come out with its first list — including Andhra — on Wednesday.