How are Rajya Sabha members elected?

Rajya Sabha members are elected indirectly by the elected members of state legislative assemblies, not by the public. The system used is proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (STV).

• Seats per state depend on its population, so larger states like Uttar Pradesh send more members than smaller ones.
• Voters are the elected MLAs of the state. Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir also send members elected by their assemblies.
• Voting: each MLA ranks candidates in order of preference. A candidate needs a fixed quota of votes to win, and surplus or lowest votes are transferred according to preferences. Since 2003, the ballot is open, meaning party MLAs show their marked ballot to their party’s authorised agent.
• Nominated members: the President nominates 12 members with special knowledge or experience in literature, science, art and social service.
• Term: six years, with one-third of the members retiring every two years.

A candidate must be an Indian citizen and at least 30 years old. Because the Rajya Sabha represents the states, it also gives regional parties a voice in national law-making.