Election Commission releases schedule for Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections. (Img: Pinterest)
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, setting the stage for a major political exercise involving Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
The poll body has announced biennial elections for 11 seats in the Council of States, including 10 seats from Uttar Pradesh and one seat from Uttarakhand, as the terms of office of these members are set to expire in November 2026.
Along with these biennial elections, the Election Commission has also announced a by-election for one Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal following a casual vacancy caused by the resignation of Rukmini Mallik on July 16, 2026. Her term was scheduled to continue until April 2, 2032. The announcement has triggered political activity as parties prepare their strategies for the upcoming contest in Parliament’s Upper House.
The upcoming elections are being conducted due to the expiry of the tenure of 11 Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Uttar Pradesh, which has the highest number of elected representatives in the country’s largest state assembly, will see elections for 10 Rajya Sabha seats. Uttarakhand will witness polling for one seat.
The Rajya Sabha, also known as the Council of States, plays a crucial role in India’s parliamentary system. Members of the Upper House represent states and union territories and participate in the legislative process along with the Lok Sabha.
Apart from the regular biennial elections, the Election Commission will conduct a by-election for a vacant Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal.
The vacancy occurred after Rukmini Mallik resigned from the Rajya Sabha on July 16, 2026. Her remaining tenure was scheduled to end on April 2, 2032. The by-election will allow the state to fill the vacant seat for the remaining period of the original term.
According to the schedule issued by the Election Commission, the notification for the elections will be released on September 29, 2026. The last date for filing nominations has been fixed as October 6, while scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on October 7.
Candidates will be able to withdraw their nominations until October 9. Polling and counting of votes will be conducted on October 16, 2026. The entire election process will be completed by October 19, according to the Election Commission.
The Rajya Sabha elections are expected to gain political importance as parties look to strengthen their representation in Parliament’s Upper House.
Unlike Lok Sabha elections, Rajya Sabha members are elected indirectly through elected members of state legislative assemblies using the proportional representation system through the single transferable vote method. With several important states involved, political parties are likely to begin discussions on candidate selection, electoral strategy and possible alliances.
Along with Rajya Sabha polls, the Election Commission has also announced biennial elections to the Legislative Councils of Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
The elections will be held for Graduates’ and Teachers’ Constituencies, where registered graduates and teachers participate in the electoral process. These constituencies follow a separate election mechanism and represent specific sections of voters in state legislative councils.
Following the announcement, political parties will now begin the process of selecting candidates and completing election formalities. The Election Commission will oversee the complete electoral process, including nominations, scrutiny, withdrawal, polling and counting. The results of the October 16 election will determine the new composition of Rajya Sabha representatives from the concerned states.
