Rajya Sabha polls on March 16, BJP-led NDA tally to go up

The NDA, which is in power in 6 of the 10 states which are voting for the Upper House, has 134 members in the Rajya Sabha, where the strength currently is 243.

NEW DELHI : The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday announced elections to the Rajya Sabha for 37 seats across 10 states on March 16 even as data suggested that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is set to expand its presence in the Upper House, where it already holds a majority.

The ruling coalition holds 15 of the 37 seats and is expected to add at least “seven-eight” more, according to BJP leaders. (HT_PRINT)

The NDA, which is in power in six of the 10 states that are going to the polls for the Upper House, has 134 members in the Rajya Sabha, where the strength currently is 243.

The ruling coalition holds 15 of the 37 seats and is expected to add at least “seven-eight” more, according to BJP leaders.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is the single-largest party in the Upper House with 103 members and its tally is set to increase but by how many is not immediately clear. It held nine of the 37 seats.

The Opposition’s INDIA bloc – which is in power in four states – holds 80 seats in the Rajya Sabha. Its tally is expected to come down due to poll losses in Bihar, Odisha and Maharashtra.

The polling on March 16 – counting will happen the same evening – will come just days before high-stakes assembly elections in four states and a Union Territory. (HT Print)

The seats – seven in Maharashtra, four in Odisha, six in Tamil Nadu, five in West Bengal, three in Assam, five in Bihar, two in Chhattisgarh, two in Haryana, one in Himachal Pradesh and two in Telangana – will fall vacant in April 2026.

Retiring members include Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar, Union minister Ramdas Athawale, and deputy chairman Harivansh.

The polling on March 16 – counting will happen the same evening – will come just days before high-stakes assembly elections in four states and a Union Territory.

According to the schedule, notifications will be issued on February 26, nominations close on March 5, scrutiny on March 6, withdrawals until March 9, and polling will take place from 9 am to 4 pm on March 16, with counting from 5pm. The process will conclude by March 20.

“Only integrated violet colour sketch pen of pre-fixed specification provided by the returning officer shall be used for marking preferences. No other pen shall be used,” ECI said in its notification.

This year, 72 seats will be up for elections across states. After 37 go to the polls on March 16, 22 will fall vacant in June, one in July, and 11 in November. One seat in Jharkhand also fell vacant in August 2025 after the demise of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha patriarch Shibu Soren but no poll has been announced for the seat.

Among the seven seats falling vacant in Maharashtra, the BJP is expecting five.It holds two.

“The BJP has the numbers to win five comfortably. One of these will be given to the RPI (represented by Athawale), while Shiv Sena has the numbers for one seat,” said a person aware of the details. One seat currently held by deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar – will also fall vacant when she puts in her papers. The seat is likely to be retained by the NCP, said the person quoted above.

In Odisha, the BJP can comfortably win two seats in the 147-member assembly, but is pitching for a third as well. It currentlyholds two. A party functionary said the BJP has 79 lawmakers and is confident of the support of three independent legislators.

The party also stands to retain two of the three seats falling vacant in Assam. The third seat, held by independent lawmaker Ajit Bhuyan, is up for contest with both the BJP and the Opposition trying to wrest the seat.

“The NDA has the numbers to win two seats and there will be about 22 surplus votes (a candidate needs 32 first preference votes). To win the third seat, we will need support from independents…and with the current churn happening in the Opposition camp, we will see how things pan out,” said the second functionary quoted above. In the northeastern state –which is set to go to the polls later this year – senior Congress leader Bhupen Borah resigned from the party this week.

In Bihar, the BJP and the Janata Dal (United) are likely to get two seats each, but all eyes will be on the fifth seat. The NDA held three seats. NDA member Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Manch, whose term is ending has been pushing for a slot in the Upper House. “There are two interesting developments to watch out for in the state. One, whether the BJP will send its national president Nitin Nabin to the Upper House and two, if the JD(U) will renominate the current vice chairman Harivansh…” said a third party functionary.

There is speculation that Nabin may continue as a Bihar legislator as the party high command is not keen on a bypoll, which will be necessitated by his resignation. There is a precedent of a party president being a member of a state assembly. “When Amit Shah was made party chief, he was a member of the Gujarat assembly,” said the third functionary.

The renomination of Harivansh from the JD(U) may also be “unlikely”, the person said. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2014 and elected as the deputy chairman in August 2018; his second term in the House began in April 2020 and he was again elected as the deputy chairman for a second consecutive term in September 2020.

The BJP will retain two seats in Haryana and one in Chhattisgarh (of the two falling vacant). The Opposition stands to gain in Himachal Pradesh (one seat), Tamil Nadu(four of the six seats) and Telangana (two). The INDIA bloc held zero, four and one respectively of these seats.

In West Bengal, the BJP has the numbers to win just a single seat.

“The BJP has 75 MLAs and will comfortably win one seat. The TMC will get four. What is interesting is that for the first time, after the retirement of Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, there will be no Left front MP from the state in the Upper House,” said the second functionary quoted above.

In Tamil Nadu, NDA member All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam will win one seat comfortably but is hopeful of gaining a second seat as well.