The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday announced the schedule for the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha to fill 37 vacant seats, including four from Odisha. The vacancies have arisen due to the retirement of sitting members whose terms will expire in April 2026.
In an official press note issued on February 18, 2026, the Commission stated that the terms of 37 members elected from 10 states are set to conclude in April. Accordingly, the ECI has scheduled biennial elections to fill these seats as per established electoral procedures.
Notification Date:February 26, 2026
Last Date for Filing Nominations:March 5, 2026
Scrutiny of Nominations:March 6, 2026
Last Date for Withdrawal:March 9, 2026
Polling (if required):March 16, 2026 (9:00 AM – 4:00 PM)
Counting of Votes:March 16, 2026 (5:00 PM onwards)
Completion of Election Process:By March 20, 2026
The Commission has directed that electors must use only integrated violet-coloured sketch pens of a pre-fixed specification supplied by the Returning Officer to mark their preferences on the ballot paper. The use of any other pen will not be permitted.
The ECI also stated that adequate measures, including the appointment of observers, will be put in place to ensure strict monitoring and the smooth conduct of free and fair elections.
Notably, the tenures of four Rajya Sabha Members of Parliament from Odisha —Mamata Mohanta,Muzibulla Khan,Sujeet Kumar, andNiranjan Bishi— are set to end on April 2, 2026.
