Poll for 20 Rajya Sabha seats underway amid fears of poaching

New Delhi: The poll to 20 Rajya Sabha seats, deferred due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be held today.

Out of these 20 seats, four each are from Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, three each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, two from Jharkhand, and one each from Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya.

It is the first major poll amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Health Department officials had seen to the preparations in each state.

The Election Commission had also appointed a nodal officer to ensure all COVID guidelines are followed

The Election Commission had announced earlier that the counting of votes will be held on the evening of June 19 itself.

Counting for Rajya Sabha and legislative council elections is usually held on the day of polling itself.

While deferring the elections early March, the poll panel had made it clear that processes completed by then, including nominations filed by candidates, will remain valid.

"The only steps remaining were the actual poll and the counting. That would be completed now," an official explained.

The Commission had deferred the March 26 Rajya Sabha elections on account of the lockdown imposed in the aftermath of coronavirus outbreak.