NEW DELHI, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Polling for the 26 seats in the Upper House of India parliament (locally called Rajya Sabha) in seven states began on Friday, officials said.
According to officials, the polling started at 9:00 a.m. local time and would continue until 4:00 p.m. in the states of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Kerala.
Counting of votes will be taken up after the voting ends.
Most of the members of the Upper House are indirectly elected by state and territorial legislatures using single transferable votes.
"Voting is underway for the Rajya Sabha elections in seven states to fill 26 of 59 seats falling vacant," an official said. "33 candidates have been elected unopposed."
Political analysts say the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) is expected to gain about a dozen seats in the Upper House to consolidate its position as the largest party, where it does not have a majority.
