Here are the live updates from the Rajya Sabha elections 2017:
BJP stands exposed of personal vendetta and political terror. People of Gujarat will give them a befitting reply in this year's election
- Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) August 8, 2017
This is not just my victory. It is a defeat of the most blatant use of money power,muscle power and abuse of state machinery
- Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) August 8, 2017
I want to thank each & every MLA who voted for me despite unprecedented intimidation & pressure from BJP.They voted for an inclusive India
- Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) August 8, 2017
I thank the Election Commission for upholding the true spirit of democracy. Now,let's wait for the result
- RPN Singh (@SinghRPN) August 8, 2017
"I appreciate this order," Ahmed Patel told NDTV. He said he was "confident" but did not elaborate, stating he would wait for the outcome of the election. Mr Patel was counting on 44 of the Congress' 51 MLAs left to support him. One of the 44 is confirmed to have voted against him, so he has 43 votes from his party.
Congress leaders walk out of the Election Commission's office in New Delhi (PTI)
The Election Commission has asked the returning officer to start counting votes after segregating the two votes in question, news agency ANI reported.
The Election Commission has accepted the Congress' demand and has declared the votes of the two Congress legislators invalid.
The Janata Dal (United) has sacked its Gujarat General Secretary Arun Srivastava for writing to the returning officer over the appointment of the party's election agent when he was not directed to do so, news agency ANI reported.
BJP President Amit Shah and party leaders wait outside the counting centre in Gandhinagar.
The Election Commission will convey order on counting of votes to the returning officer at 11:30 pm, news agency ANI reported.
Election Commission officials did not meet Congress and BJP delegations when they arrived for the third time, news agency ANI reported. The EC officials are in a closed-door meeting now.
"We want the electoral process to be completed and counting to begin," BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman said.
The BJP delegation leaves the Election Commission's office in New Delhi.
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the BJP has full faith in the Election Commission, news agency ANI reported. "The Congress's allegations have no substance and they are setting a wrong precedent," Mr Prasad said.
"There is enough evidence that the ballot paper were seen by people other than those authorised. The Election Commission must reject these ballot papers as it did in Haryana in June 2016," Congress leader P Chidambaram said, news agency ANI reported.
Congress parliamentarian Anand Sharma said a Congress legislator had mistakenly showed his vote in Haryana, and his vote was rejected. "The same was done in Gujarat and so should be rejected," Mr Sharma said, news agency ANI reported.
BJP's Nirmala Sitharaman, however, pointed out that since 2010, the secrecy clause does not exist. "The presiding officer has the power to reject a vote. He did not object. Even the Congress did not object then. Why now?" Ms Sitharaman told NDTV.
Congress parliamentarian Anand Sharma speaks to the media
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Election Commission has heard the BJP's arguments. He said the Congress has been making false charges. BJP leader Piyush Goyal said the rules say hurdles in procedure calls for the presiding officer's warning and cancellation of that vote, but in this case the vote reached the ballot box under full supervision of the Election Commission.
However, Congress' Ahmed Patel said a complaint was filed immediately, but the returning officer didn't do anything, news agency ANI reported. "I'm very much confident. Let counting take place," Mr Patel said.
Union ministers Arun Jaitley, Nirmala Sitharaman and other BJP leaders have also reached the Election Commission, news agency ANI reported.
The Election Commission's office in New Delhi
"Who is KC Tyagi to say anything? Chhotubhai (Vasava) has voted; he will tell. Our support is with Ahmed Patel," said Ambalal Jadhav, Gujarat Janata Dal (United) General Secretary, news agency ANI reported. Chhotubhai Vasava, the only JD(U) legislator in Gujarat, said he has voted for Congress' Ahmed Patel, news agency PTI reported. Mr Vasava represents Scheduled Tribes reserved Jhagadia assembly seat in south Gujarat's Bharuch district. "BJP has ruled the state for 22 years but has ignored the state's tribal areas, which remain undeveloped as the government has done nothing for the poor and tribal population," Mr Vasava told PTI on phone.
Congress' Randeep Surjewala and RPN Singh have approach the Election Commission to demand quashing of votes of two Congress legislators, Bholabhai and Raghavji Bhai, for allegedly showing votes publicly after voting for the BJP, news agency ANI reported. Congress' Shaktisinh Gohil said if a voter shows his or her vote to anyone other than party's authorised agent, then the vote gets rejected. Counting of votes has been delayed after the Congress approached the Election Commission.
The only Janata Dal (United) legislator in Gujarat, Chhotubhai Vasava, voted for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha election, JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said, news agency ANI reported. "Nitish ji had asked our Gujarat MLA Chhotubhai Vasava to vote for BJP and he voted BJP," Mr Tyagi said. Mr Vasava represents the Scheduled Tribes reserved Jhagadia assembly seat in south Gujarat's Bharuch district.
JD(U) leader KC Tyagi speaks to the media.
Things blown out of proportion because of Ahmed Patel. He's in risky situation,half of his ppl might end up voting for BJP:Majeed Memon, NCP pic.twitter.com/NcpYEMaTvY
- ANI (@ANI_news) August 8, 2017
Congress hadn't been listening to us for a year. We have voted for Balwantsinh Rajput: Dharmendra Jadeja, Congress #RajyaSabhaPolls #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/7SRFILADE6
- ANI (@ANI_news) August 8, 2017
Voted for Balwantsinh Rajput. I want to stay in politics but not in Congress: Raghavji Patel #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/5KDu9VOCng
- ANI (@ANI_news) August 8, 2017
1) Voting began in the Gujarat assembly building at 9 am and will continue till 4 pm. The results will be declared by 6 pm.
2) The legislators have been provided ballot papers where the names of candidates are printed. The MLAs need to indicate their choice in the boxes provided next to name of each candidate. The vote will be shown to the polling officer before it is dropped into the ballot box.
3) Members of legislative assemblies or MLAs vote in Rajya Sabha elections in what is called a proportional representation with the single transferable vote (STV) system. Each voter's vote is counted only once.
4) Each voter ranks his preferences and if the first choice candidate has enough votes already or no chance of being elected, the vote is transferred to the second choice and so on.
5) Parties sometimes ask their lawmakers to indicate no more than one choice, so the vote cannot be used by another party's candidate.
6) The number of votes a candidate needs to win is arrived at by dividing the number of votes with the number of seats plus one, and then adding 1 to the result.
7) Gujarat has 182 seats, but 6 Congress members, who quit the party recently, will not be eligible to vote. The current strength of the house is 176, and there are three seats. So a candidate will need 45 votes for an outright victory.
8) As the voting is done through open ballot and every legislator shows his vote to the polling agent, those who violate the party whip can lose party membership.
9) But since assembly elections are just a few months away, some lawmakers may risk their membership by defying party whip.
10) Voters may also use the NOTA option, which has been upheld recently by the Supreme Court for Rajya Sabha elections.
(Photo: Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel)
(File Photo: Shankersinh Vaghela)