The retirements will lower the Congress' Upper House tally to 28 from 34 and the BJP's to 92 from 97.   

Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) five and Congress' six lawmakers are amongst the 19 members of Rajya Sabha to retire in April. The retirements will lower the Congress' Upper House tally to 28 from 34 and the BJP's to 92 from 97. The BJP is the single largest party in the House of 245 members, presently having 237 members.

On Monday, Congress lawmaker Anand Sharma in his speech, hinted twice during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address that this could be his last intervention in the Upper House. 

Sharma's term in the Rajya Sabha will expire on April 2. He is a former minister who represents Himachal Pradesh. Former Defence Minister AK Antony (Kerala), Partap Singh Bajwa (Punjab), Shamsher Singh Dullo (Punjab), Ripun Bora (Assam), and Ranee Narah's (Assam) terms are also coming to an end.

The BJP's number will lower in the Upper House with the retirement of nominated members who have chosen to align with the party. The members include Subramaniam Swamy, actor Suresh Gopi, actor-turned-politician Roopa Ganguly, and journalist Swapan Dasgupta. Boxer Mary Kom and economist Narendra Jadhav are the other members who will retire in April. Shwait Malik's (BJP) tenure in office in Punjab is also ending. 

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The Naga People's Front's lone member from Nagaland, KG Kenye, will retire. Following the killing of 14 civilians in Nagaland by the army during a botched counter-insurgency operation in December, Kenye criticised the Centre for failing to repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from the state. He described the law as a 'licence to kill.'

MV Shreyams Kumar of the Loktantrik Janata Dal (Kerala), Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Punjab), Naresh Gujral of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Punjab), K Soma Prasad of the Communist Party of India (Kerala), and Jharna Das Baidya of the Tripura will also retire in April. This month, Punjab, which goes to the polls, will have five vacancies in Rajya Sabha.

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