Elections to three Rajya Sabha seats from Delhi, one from Sikkim on January 19

Elections to four Rajya Sabha seats -- three from Delhi and one from Sikkim -- will be held on January 19, the Election Commission said on Friday (22 December).

The six-year term of Sanjay Singh, Sushil Kumar Gupta and Narain Dass Gupta (all from the Aam Aadmi Party) ends on January 27 next year.

The term of Hishey Lachungpa (Sikkim Democratic Front) ends on February 23 next year.

Singh is in judicial custody after being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy.

He has been under suspension from the Rajya Sabha since July 24 for unruly behaviour in the House.

In a statement, the EC said the election to fill up the four vacancies will be held on January 19 (Friday). The nomination process will start on January 2 with the issuance of notification and January 9 will be the last date to file papers.

As per established practice, the polling will take place from 9 am to 4 pm and the counting of votes will commence from 5 pm.

The EC noted that the National Capital Territory of Delhi has been allocated three seats in the Rajya Sabha.

The three vacancies in Rajya Sabha from Delhi are being filled by holding "three separate elections in accordance with the law on the subject as each of these three vacancies fell under three different cycles, which were determined at the time of the initial constitution of the Rajya Sabha in 1952 itself", the poll panel said.

The decision of the commission to hold three separate elections was challenged in the Delhi High Court in 1994 in the A K Walia Vs the Union of India and Others case on behalf of the Indian National Congress, contending that all the three vacancies should be filled by holding a common election as the elections to the Rajya Sabha are held under the system of proportional representation, the poll panel noted.

The Delhi High Court, however, had dismissed the petition.