NEW DELHI: The BJP on Monday won Gujarat but its winning tally won't help the party retain all its Rajya Sabha seats from the state when the Upper House goes to biennial polls to elect over 50 members from 14 states next year.Four of the party's Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat will retire on April 2, 2018. Having bagging 99 assembly seats, the party will be able to retain only two seats (36 MLAs vote for one RS seat) with the remaining two going to the main opposition Congress The election to fill these four seats will be held along with over 50 others from different states in March next year. Four BJP members who will retire from the RS after completion of their present term in April include Arun Jaitley (Union finance minister), Parshottam Rupala, Mansukh Mandaviya and Shankarbhai Vegad.At present, the BJP has nine out of 11 RS members from the state. After the next year's biennial election, its tally will be reduced to seven.The BJP will, however, improve its overall tally in the RS after the biennial election with the help of the party's strength in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra assemblies. The 55 members who will retire in April include three nominated MPs - cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, actress Rekha and businesswoman and social worker Anu Aga.The new nominated members will also give the ruling NDA much needed strength in the Upper House.

Source: Times of India December 18, 2017 16:18 UTC