New Delhi: The Election Commission has announced October 16 as the polling date for 12 Rajya Sabha seats across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. The schedule includes biennial elections for 11 seats in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and a by-election for one vacant seat in West Bengal.
The election process will begin with the notification on September 29. Candidates can file their nominations until October 6, followed by scrutiny on October 7. The deadline for withdrawing nominations is October 9, with polling and counting scheduled for October 16.
Rajya Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh
Ten Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh are going to polls. The current strength among these seats is eight BJP members, one Samajwadi Party member and one Bahujan Samaj Party member.
The BJP members whose terms are ending include Hardeep Singh Puri, Dinesh Sharma, Arun Singh, Banwari Lal Verma, Brij Lal, Neeraj Shekhar, Seema Dwivedi and Geeta Shakya. SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav and BSP’s Ramji Gautam are the other members from Uttar Pradesh whose seats are part of the election.
One of the 10 UP vacancies has also arisen after Dinesh Sharma’s resignation following his appointment as Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Uttarakhand Rajya Sabha Seat Also Up For Polls
Uttarakhand has one Rajya Sabha seat in the October 16 election. BJP’s Naresh Bansal is the sitting member whose term is ending.
The election will be conducted alongside the 10 UP polls, making it a significant round of Rajya Sabha elections involving the two northern states.
West Bengal Rajya Sabha Bypoll
A separate Rajya Sabha by-election will be held in West Bengal for the seat vacated by Rukmini Mallick, also known as actor Koel Mallick.
Mallick resigned from the Rajya Sabha on July 16, 2026. Her term was originally scheduled to continue until April 2, 2032. The vacant seat will now be filled through the October 16 by-election.
Full Rajya Sabha Election Schedule
- Notification: September 29
- Last date for nominations: October 6
- Scrutiny: October 7
- Last date for withdrawal: October 9
- Polling: October 16
- Counting: October 16
The elections will determine the occupants of the 12 seats involved in the October round, with the UP results also affecting the representation of parties in the Rajya Sabha.
