Agartala, Feb 18: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the schedule for biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha to fill 37 seats across 10 states, with the terms of sitting members set to expire in April 2026.
The vacancies pertain to members representing Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana.
According to the poll schedule, the notification will be issued on February 26. The last date for filing nominations is March 5, while scrutiny will be held on March 6. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until March 9. Polling, if required, will take place on March 16 from 9 am to 4 pm, and counting of votes will begin at 5 pm the same day. The entire election process will be completed by March 20.
The Commission has directed that only integrated violet colour sketch pens of a pre-fixed specification, supplied by the Returning Officer, must be used for marking preferences on ballot papers. “No other pen shall be used,” the Commission stated.
Observers will be deployed to ensure the elections are conducted in a free and fair manner.
Separately, the ECI has launched a voter awareness drive in poll-bound states and Union Territories — Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal — to familiarise electors with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units.
