Rajya Sabha biennial polls for 37 seats across 10 states to be held on March 16: EC

Biennial elections to 37 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states will be held on March 16, the Election Commission announced on Wednesday, setting the stage for a politically consequential contest that will reflect the current balance of power in several state Assemblies.

The vacancies will arise as sitting members complete their terms in April 2026. The states where seats are falling vacant are Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar.

Poll schedule: nominations from February 26, voting on March 16

According to the schedule released by the Election Commission, the election process will begin with the issue of notifications on February 26. The last date for filing nominations is March 5, while scrutiny will be conducted on March 6. Candidates may withdraw their nominations until March 9.

Polling will take place on March 16 between 9 am and 4 pm. Counting of votes is scheduled for 5 pm the same day. The Commission said the election process will be completed by March 20.

Sharad Pawar, Singhvi, Harivansh among prominent members retiring

The 37 retiring members belong to Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana.

Among those set to retire are Sharad Pawar, Union minister Ramdas Athawale, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale, and Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh.

How the March outcome will be decided

The outcome of the March elections will depend on the numerical strength of political parties in the respective state Assemblies, given that Rajya Sabha members are elected through an indirect vote by MLAs.

While the elections are typically determined by arithmetic rather than campaigning, the results can still produce marginal shifts in the composition of the Upper House — particularly in states where the ruling coalition has changed since the last round of biennial elections.

What happened in the last Rajya Sabha elections in 2020

The seats were last contested in the 2020 biennial elections. At the time, the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies secured a dominant share in states such as Assam, Bihar, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

In Maharashtra, seats were shared among the BJP, the undivided Shiv Sena, the undivided Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK-led alliance won a majority of the seats, while the Trinamool Congress retained its dominance in West Bengal and the Biju Janata Dal secured seats in Odisha.

Election Commission issues voting procedure advisory

Alongside the schedule, the Election Commission issued instructions on voting procedure, directing that only integrated violet sketch pens supplied by the Returning Officer be used to mark preferences on ballot papers.

“Only integrated violet colour sketch pen(s) of pre-fixed specification provided by the Returning Officer shall be used for marking preferences. No other pen shall be used,” the ECI said, adding that observers would be appointed to ensure the elections are conducted in a free and fair manner.

The Commission said it would appoint observers and follow specific ballot-marking guidelines to ensure the integrity of the poll.

ECI also steps up EVM-VVPAT awareness campaign in poll-bound states

Separately, the Election Commission said it has launched an extensive EVM and VVPAT awareness campaign across poll-bound States and Union Territories of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal to familiarise voters with the functioning of Electronic Voting Machines and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail units.

According to an ECI press note, more than 1.20 lakh electors participated in EVM demonstration camps at EVM Demonstration Centres across five States and UTs, and over 1.16 lakh electors cast mock votes. It said more than 29,000 polling station locations had already been covered by Mobile Demonstration Vans as of February 10.

The campaign is being conducted through EVM Demonstration Centres and Mobile Demonstration Vans in a structured and time-bound manner, the Commission added.