NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Tuesday announced the schedule for Rajya Sabha elections to 11 seats — 10 in Uttar Pradesh and one in Uttarakhand — along with a by-election to one seat in West Bengal. Polling for all 12 seats will be held on October 16, with counting scheduled for the same day.
The notification for the elections will be issued on September 29, while October 6 will be the last date for filing nominations. Nominations will be scrutinised on October 7 and candidates can withdraw their candidature until October 9. Polling will be held from 9am to 4pm, followed by counting from 5pm.
The terms of 10 Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh and BJP MP Naresh Bansal from Uttarakhand are ending in November. Among the prominent Uttar Pradesh members whose terms are ending are Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, former Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, Arun Singh, Brij Lal, Neeraj Shekhar, BL Verma, Seema Dwivedi, Geeta Shakya and Ramji Gautam.
The West Bengal seat has fallen vacant following the resignation of Trinamool Congress MP Rukmini Mallik, also known as actress Koel Mallick. A separate by-election will be held for the seat on October 16.
UP numbers draw political focus
The outcome in Uttar Pradesh will depend on the strength of different parties in the state assembly. The BJP-led alliance currently has the numbers to influence a substantial share of the 10 seats, while the Samajwadi Party is positioned to secure representation based on its assembly strength.
The election is also significant for the Bahujan Samaj Party, which currently has one Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh. With its reduced strength in the state assembly, the party faces the loss of its Rajya Sabha representation in the upcoming round.
The BJP, which has a clear majority in the Uttarakhand assembly, is also in a strong numerical position for the state’s lone Rajya Sabha seat.
In West Bengal, the vacancy created by Mallik’s resignation will be filled through the October 16 bypoll. The ruling Trinamool Congress has a large majority in the state assembly.
The Election Commission said the entire election process will be completed within the prescribed schedule.
