Election Commission of India Schedules Rajya Sabha and Council Polls

The Election Commission of India announced election schedules for 12 Rajya Sabha seats and 28 Legislative Council seats across several states. Polling for the Rajya Sabha seats will occur on October 16, including 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, one in Uttarakhand, and a by-election in West Bengal. The West Bengal vacancy was created following the resignation of Trinamool Congress MP Rukmini Mallik.

For the Rajya Sabha contests, the commission will issue notifications on September 29, with nominations closing on October 6. Voting will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the scheduled date.

Separately, biennial elections for 28 Legislative Council seats in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Karnataka are set for October 23, with results to be counted on October 27. These seats cover various Teachers' and Graduates' constituencies. The commission has already implemented the Model Code of Conduct for these areas and mandated that voters use specific violet sketch pens to mark their ballot preferences.