ECI announces schedule for polls to 12 Rajya Sabha seats

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday announced the schedule for biennial elections to 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand along with a by-election to one seat from West Bengal.

Ten seats from Uttar Pradesh and one from Uttarakhand will fall vacant when the incumbents’ six-year terms expire on November 25.

Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav and Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, the BJP’s Arun Singh, Geeta Shakya, Neeraj Shekhar, Brij Lal, and Seema Dwiwedi, the BSP’s Ramji Gautam, and Union minister of state Banwari Lal Verma are the outgoing Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh. One seat, previously held by the BJP’s Dinesh Sharma, already fell vacant on September 11.

In Uttarakhand, the BJP’s Naresh Bansal’s term will end on the same date. In West Bengal, actress Rukmini Mallik resigned from her seat on July 16. The winner of this seat will serve out the remainder of her term until April 2, 2032.

According to the schedule, notifications for the elections will be issued on September 29, with nominations to be filed by October 6. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on October 7, followed by withdrawal of candidatures by October 9. Polling, if required, will be held on October 16 between 9am and 4pm, with counting at 5pm. The entire process must conclude by October 19.