The Rules and the Process of Electing a Rajya Sabha Member
Context:
On March 16, the Legislative Assemblies of ten states are scheduled to elect 37 Members of Parliament (MPs) to the Rajya Sabha.
Composition and Qualifications:
The Rajya Sabha consists of up to 250 members.
Out of these, 12 members are nominated specifically for their special knowledge in literature, science, art, or social service, while the remaining members are elected.
To qualify as a Rajya Sabha MP, a person must be a minimum of 30 years of age and must be a registered elector for a parliamentary constituency.
The term of a Rajya Sabha member is six years, and one-third of the members retire every two years.
This ensures continuity, as Rajya Sabha is a permanent body that is never dissolved, unlike the Lok Sabha
The Electoral College:
Unlike the Lok Sabha, where members are directly elected by citizens aged 18 and above, Rajya Sabha MPs are elected indirectly by state Assembly members (MLAs).
Delhi and Puducherry, along with Jammu & Kashmir, are represented by an electoral college comprising the MLAs of these respective Union Territories.
Other Union Territories—such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Chandigarh, and Ladakh—do not possess representation in the Rajya Sabha.
Voting Mechanism and Counting:
The elections utilize the system of proportional representation by a single, transferable vote.
Once the winning quota is calculated, if a victorious candidate receives more than the required quota, their surplus votes are moved to the second preference candidates.
The largest surplus is transferred first.
If this initial transfer does not fill all vacancies, the candidate with the lowest number of first preference votes is eliminated.
Their second preference votes are then transferred, and this iterative process continues until all seats are filled.
Open Ballot System:
To prevent cross-voting by their own ranks, an open ballot system was introduced in 2003.
Party MLAs must show their marked ballot papers to the authorized agents of their respective parties, or their vote becomes invalid.
Independent MLAs, however, are not required to show their ballots to anyone.