Polls to 4 Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana, Punjab on June 10

TERMS OF SUBHASH CHANDRA, DUSHYANT GAUTAM FROM HARYANA AND AMBIKA SONI AND BALWINDER SINGH FROM PUNJAB ENDING SOON; SELJA LIKELY TO BE ACCOMMODATED

CHANDIGARH: The Election Commission on Thursday announced June 10 as the poll date for filling two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana and two from Punjab.

Two of the five Upper House seats from Haryana will fall vacant on August 1 with media baron Subhash Chandra, who was elected with the BJP’S support, and Delhi-based BJP leader Dushyant Gautam completing their terms.

Going by the numbers in the state assembly, the BJP will wrest one seat, while the other will be picked by the Congress. Former Union minister Kumari Selja, who made way for Udai Bhan, a loyalist of two-time chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, by stepping down as Haryana Congress president recently, is likely to be accommodated in the Rajya Sabha.

Two Upper House seats from Punjab falling vacant on July 4 will also be filled on June 10. The terms of Ambika Soni and Balwinder Singh end in July.

Punjab chief electoral officer S Karuna Raju said according to the schedule, a notification will be issued on May 24 and the last date of filing of nominations would be May 31. The scrutiny of nominations would be done on June 1 and the last date of withdrawal of candidature has been fixed for June 3.

He said polling will be held on June 10 from 9am to 4pm. The counting will also be held the same day at 5pm. The election process will be completed before June 13, he added.