Rajya Sabha elections to 18 seats postponed

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has postponed Rajya Sabha elections to 18 seats scheduled on Thursday following the Covid-19 outbreak and precautionary lockdown across the country. Fresh date of polls and counting will be announced later, EC said.

Thirty-seven Rajya Sabha members from 10 states were elected unopposed and elections to 18 seats in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Rajasthan have been put off. The elections in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat had infused suspense after the defection of legislators from the Congress to BJP.

“The prevailing unforeseen situation of public health emergency indicates the need for avoidance of possibilities of gatherings of any nature, which expose all concerned to possible health hazard. The poll process in the above said elections would necessarily include the gathering of polling officials, agents of political parties, support officials and members of respective legislative assemblies on the poll day, which may not be suitable in view of the prevailing unforeseen situation and related advisories in the country,” a EC news release said on Tuesday.