Rajya Sabha Elections in India

RAJYA SABHA ELECTIONS IN INDIA  

1. Introduction

The Rajya Sabha is the Upper House of the Parliament of India. Unlike the Lok Sabha, the members of the Rajya Sabha are not directly elected by the people.

Rajya Sabha members representing the States are elected indirectly by the elected members of the State Legislative Assemblies (MLAs).

2. Method of Election

Rajya Sabha elections are conducted through:

• Indirect Election

• Proportional Representation

• Single Transferable Vote (STV)

Key Point:

Rajya Sabha → Proportional Representation by means of Single Transferable Vote

3. Who Elects Rajya Sabha Members?

Rajya Sabha members representing the States are elected by the:

Elected Members of the State Legislative Assemblies (MLAs)

Important:

• Only elected MLAs participate.

• Nominated MLAs do not vote in Rajya Sabha elections.

• Where applicable, elected members of Union Territory Legislative Assemblies also participate.

4. Preferential Voting

In Rajya Sabha elections, MLAs do not simply vote for one candidate.

They indicate their preferences by numbering candidates:

1 → First Preference
2 → Second Preference
3 → Third Preference
and so on.

The vote can therefore be transferred from one candidate to another according to the preferences marked by the voter.

5. Value of an MLA's Vote

In a Rajya Sabha election:

Each elected MLA has ONE vote.

This should not be confused with the election of the President of India.

UGC NET Tip: Remember this distinction carefully.

6. Quota for Election

A candidate must obtain the required quota of votes to be elected.

Formula:

Quota = (Total Valid Votes ÷ (Number of Seats + 1)) + 1

Only the required whole-number quota is considered.

Example:

Suppose:

• Total valid votes = 100

• Seats to be filled = 3

Then:

Quota = (100 ÷ 4) + 1

= 25 + 1

= 26

Therefore, a candidate needs 26 votes to secure election.

7. How Does the Single Transferable Vote (STV) Work?

The counting process involves the transfer of votes according to the preferences marked by voters.

If a candidate receives more votes than the required quota:

The surplus votes may be transferred to other candidates according to the next preferences.

If a candidate has the lowest number of votes:

That candidate may be eliminated, and their votes are transferred according to the next preferences.

This process continues until all the available seats are filled.

8. Open Ballot System

Rajya Sabha elections follow an open ballot system.

An MLA belonging to a political party is required to show the marked ballot to the authorised party agent before placing it in the ballot box.

Independent MLAs are not required to show their ballots.

9. Term of Rajya Sabha Members

• A Rajya Sabha member has a term of 6 years.

• Rajya Sabha is a permanent House.

• It is not subject to dissolution.

• Approximately one-third of its members retire every two years.

QUICK REVISION TABLE

⭐ UGC NET QUICK MEMORY TRICK

Rajya Sabha = I-P-S-O

I → Indirect Election
P → Proportional Representation
S → Single Transferable Vote
O → Open Ballot

One-line revision:

“Rajya Sabha members are indirectly elected by elected MLAs through proportional representation using the Single Transferable Vote system.”