Bhubaneswar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the Rajya Sabha election schedule on Wednesday, with polls set to fill 37 vacant seats, including four from Odisha. These seats have fallen vacant due to the impending retirement of members in April 2026.
In a press note issued on February 18, 2026, the ECI announced that the terms of 37 members from 10 states will end in April, and to fill these vacancies, the Commission has scheduled biennial elections following the standard electoral procedure.
According to the official election timetable, the notification for the polls will be issued on February 26, 2026. Nominations can be filed up to March 5, with the scrutiny of nomination papers scheduled for March 6. Candidates will have until March 9 to withdraw their candidatures if they choose to do so.
If necessary, voting will take place on March 16, 2026, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Vote counting is scheduled to begin at 5:00 pm on the same day. The complete election process is expected to conclude by March 20, 2026.
