Rajya Sabha Elections Announced for 12 Seats on October 16

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the schedule for elections to 12 Rajya Sabha seats, with polling set to take place on October 16, 2026. The elections cover 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, one seat in Uttarakhand and a by-election for one seat in West Bengal. The announcement sets in motion the formal process for filling the upcoming vacancies in the Upper House of Parliament.

Of the 12 seats, 10 are from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where the terms of sitting Rajya Sabha members are ending. Nine of the Uttar Pradesh seats and the Uttarakhand seat are scheduled to fall vacant when the current members’ terms expire on November 25, 2026. One additional Uttar Pradesh seat became vacant earlier after BJP leader Dinesh Sharma resigned from the Rajya Sabha following his appointment as Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Uttar Pradesh, which has 31 Rajya Sabha seats, accounts for the largest share of the upcoming contests. Among the 10 seats going to polls, eight are currently held by the BJP, while the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) hold one seat each. The outgoing members include Ram Gopal Yadav, Hardeep Singh Puri, Arun Singh, Neeraj Shekhar, Brij Lal, Seema Dwivedi, Ramji Gautam and Banwari Lal Verma, among others.

The election will also cover one Rajya Sabha seat from Uttarakhand, currently held by BJP MP Naresh Bansal. His term is scheduled to end on November 25. The Uttarakhand contest will therefore form part of the broader round of Rajya Sabha elections being conducted in October.

In West Bengal, the Election Commission has announced a by-election for one Rajya Sabha seat. The seat became vacant following the resignation of Rukmini Malik. Unlike the seats facing regular retirement, the West Bengal contest is a by-election to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the existing term.

The election schedule provides parties with several important deadlines. The notification will be issued on September 29, while the last date for filing nominations is October 6. Nomination papers will be scrutinised on October 7, and candidates can withdraw their nominations until October 9. Polling, if required, will take place on October 16 between 9 am and 4 pm, followed by counting from 5 pm on the same day. The entire election process is scheduled to be completed by October 19.

Rajya Sabha elections are conducted differently from direct Lok Sabha elections. Members of the Upper House are elected by the elected members of State Legislative Assemblies through the system of proportional representation using the single transferable vote. Consequently, the strength of political parties and alliances in the respective state assemblies is an important factor in determining the outcome of the contests.

The upcoming elections are therefore expected to involve candidate selection, alliance discussions and negotiations over support among political parties. In Uttar Pradesh in particular, the distribution of seats and the strength of parties in the state Assembly will shape the contest for the 10 Rajya Sabha vacancies. Parties will also have to finalise their nominees before the October 6 nomination deadline.

The West Bengal by-election has an additional political context because it is being held for a single vacant seat rather than as part of the regular retirement cycle. The winner will serve the remaining term associated with the vacant seat.

The October 16 contests will be closely followed because the Rajya Sabha is a permanent House and members retire in batches, with roughly one-third of elected members completing their terms every two years. The Election Commission states that the Rajya Sabha has 245 members, including 233 elected members and 12 nominated members.

Political parties are now expected to begin the process of finalising candidates and assessing their respective numbers in the state legislatures. Any changes in nominations, withdrawals or agreements between parties will become clearer as the September 29 notification date and October 6 nomination deadline approach.

The October 16 Rajya Sabha elections will consequently be an important parliamentary electoral exercise involving Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. While the Election Commission has announced the timetable, the final list of candidates and the subsequent voting process will determine how the vacant seats are filled.