The election of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Amit Shah (from Gandhinagar) and Smriti Irani (from Amethi) to the 17th Lok Sabha has vacated two seats in the Rajya Sabha, necessitating bypolls for the Upper House.
Gujarat sends 11 Members of Parliament (MPs) to the Rajya Sabha, of which currently four belong to the Congress, five to the BJP while two remain vacant.
The Election Commission of India (EC) has announced that the bypolls in Gujarat, Bihar and Odisha will be held on July 5 between 9.00 am to 4.00 pm. The counting of votes will happen on the same day at 5.00 pm.