ECI announces schedule for Rajya Sabha biennial elections to fill 37 seats

The Election Commission of India announced the schedule for Rajya Sabha biennial elections to fill 37 seats from 10 states, with polling on March 16, nominations by March 5, and strict compliance with election guidelines

 New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday declared the schedule for the biennial elections to the Council of States, Rajya Sabha, to fill 37 seats falling vacant from 10 states. According to the Commission, polling will be conducted on March 16 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and the counting of votes will take place the same day at 5:00 p.m.

The terms of 37 members of the Council of States, elected from 10 states, are set to conclude in April 2026. In view of the impending vacancies, the Commission has laid out a detailed timetable for the electoral process.

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The notification for the elections will be issued on February 26. The last date for filing nominations has been fixed as March 5, while scrutiny of nomination papers will be undertaken on March 6. Candidates will have the option to withdraw their nominations until March 9.

The Commission has specified that only integrated violet sketch pens of pre-determined specifications, supplied by the Returning Officer, will be allowed for marking preferences on ballot papers. It clarified that no other writing instrument will be permitted for the purpose.

To ensure that the elections are conducted in a transparent and impartial manner, observers will be deployed to oversee the entire process.

The members whose terms are ending represent Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana.

Among the prominent retiring members are Upendra Kushwaha, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Tiruchi Siva, Saket Gokhale, Ramdas Athawale, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar, Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, Mamata Mohanta, Rameswar Teli, Indu Bala Goswami, Kavi Tejpal Singh Tulsi, NR Elango, Amarendra Dhari Singh and Kiran Choudhry.

The Commission stressed the need for strict compliance with all election-related guidelines and emphasised that the entire process would be completed within the prescribed timeline to safeguard the integrity of the Rajya Sabha elections.