2017 Rajya Sabha elections

The 2017 Rajya Sabha elections were held to fill 57 vacant seats in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's Parliament. These seats were distributed across 15 states, reflecting the staggered nature of Indian parliamentary elections. The elections took place in two phases on June 8 and 14, 2017, with the counting of votes conducted on June 15, 2017. Political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress, and various regional parties, engaged in intense strategies to secure a majority and gain influence in the Rajya Sabha, which plays a critical role in legislative processes. The 2017 elections were notable for their implications on the balance of power in the Parliament, particularly for the BJP, which sought to strengthen its position amidst key policy initiatives.