<p>The Election Commission on Monday put off the Rajya Sabha elections for 10 seats in Goa, Gujarat and West Bengal scheduled for June 8.<br /> <br />“The Commission will announce programme for holding biennial election to the Council of States from Goa, Gujarat and West Bengal in due course,” an official statement said.<br /> <br />According to EC sources, the conduct of the Presidential Elections may coincide with the schedule Rajya Sabha elections.<br /> <br />The Secretaries of Legislative Assemblies, who are the Returning Officers for Rajya Sabha elections, are also appointed as Assistant Returning Officers for the Presidential elections.<br /> <br />Also, sources said that the biennial election process clashed with the EVM Challenge annouced by the Commission from June 3.<br /> <br />“This (RS elections) will divert attention of some of the parties who may like to participate in the challenge,” the EC sources said.<br /> <br />According to the rules, the Election Commission can announce the Presidential Elections any day after May 25.<br /> <br />President Pranab Mukherjee's term is till July 25.<br /> <br />In 2012, the Commission had announced the Presidential Elections on June 12 and the elections were held on July 19.<br /> <br />The retiring members of the Rajya Sabha are Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), Derek O'brien, Ahmed Patel, Smriti Irani, Shantaram Naik, Dilip Pandya, Debabrata Bandyopadhyay, Pradip Bhattacharya, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Dola Sen.</p>
<p>The Election Commission on Monday put off the Rajya Sabha elections for 10 seats in Goa, Gujarat and West Bengal scheduled for June 8.<br /> <br />“The Commission will announce programme for holding biennial election to the Council of States from Goa, Gujarat and West Bengal in due course,” an official statement said.<br /> <br />According to EC sources, the conduct of the Presidential Elections may coincide with the schedule Rajya Sabha elections.<br /> <br />The Secretaries of Legislative Assemblies, who are the Returning Officers for Rajya Sabha elections, are also appointed as Assistant Returning Officers for the Presidential elections.<br /> <br />Also, sources said that the biennial election process clashed with the EVM Challenge annouced by the Commission from June 3.<br /> <br />“This (RS elections) will divert attention of some of the parties who may like to participate in the challenge,” the EC sources said.<br /> <br />According to the rules, the Election Commission can announce the Presidential Elections any day after May 25.<br /> <br />President Pranab Mukherjee's term is till July 25.<br /> <br />In 2012, the Commission had announced the Presidential Elections on June 12 and the elections were held on July 19.<br /> <br />The retiring members of the Rajya Sabha are Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), Derek O'brien, Ahmed Patel, Smriti Irani, Shantaram Naik, Dilip Pandya, Debabrata Bandyopadhyay, Pradip Bhattacharya, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Dola Sen.</p>
