The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the schedule for biennial elections to 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, along with a bye election to one Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal.
Polling for all 12 seats will be held on October 16, 2026, from 9 am to 4 pm, with counting scheduled for 5 pm that day. The election process is to be completed by October 19.
The ECI has issued a note on Tuesday, stating that the terms of 10 Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh and one from Uttarakhand are due to expire in November 2026. The elections will also fill a casual vacancy in West Bengal.
Rajya Sabha Election 2026: Key Dates
The notification for the elections will be issued on September 29. The last date to file nominations is October 6, and scrutiny will take place on October 7.
Candidates can withdraw their nominations until October 9.
Polling will be held on October 16 from 9 am to 4 pm, followed by counting at 5 pm. The election process must be completed by October 19.
According to the ECI’s Annexure A, the 10 Uttar Pradesh seats included in the biennial election are currently listed against Arun Singh, Geeta alias Chandraprabha, Neerja Shekhar, Brijlal, Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav, Ramji, B.L. Verma, Seema, Dr Dinesh Sharma and Hardeep Singh Puri.
The terms of these seats are listed as ending on November 25, 2026. The ECI annexure specifically notes that the seat of Dr Dinesh Sharma is vacant with effect from September 11, 2026.
Uttarakhand: One seat
The one Uttarakhand Rajya Sabha seat included in the biennial election is currently held by Naresh Bansal, whose term is also listed as ending on November 25, 2026.
West Bengal Rajya Sabha bye election
The ECI has also announced a bye election for one Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal following the resignation of Smt. Rukmini Mallik.
According to the Commission, the vacancy occurred on July 16, 2026, and the term of the vacant seat is scheduled to run until April 2, 2032.
Special instructions for Rajya Sabha polls
The ECI has directed that voters in these elections must use only the integrated violet-colour sketch pen of the prescribed specification provided by the Returning Officer for marking preferences on the ballot paper.
The Commission has specifically stated that no other pen shall be used for marking preferences.
The ECI also said that adequate measures, including the appointment of observers, will be taken for close monitoring of the election process to ensure free and fair elections.
