Archive · 22 Sep 2026
Rajya Sabha Polls Set October 16 Across Three States
India will hold Rajya Sabha elections on October 16.
Ten seats are from Uttar Pradesh and one is from Uttarakhand.
West Bengal will also hold a special election for one vacant seat.
Most of the seats are becoming available because the current members’ terms are ending.
One Uttar Pradesh seat became vacant after Dinesh Sharma resigned.
Candidates can file papers until October 6, and officials will check them on October 7.
Voting will happen from 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m., with counting starting at 5 p.m.
The BJP-led alliance is expected to do well in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The reports say the BJP may also win the West Bengal seat, which was previously associated with the Trinamool Congress.
The Election Commission scheduled October 16 elections for 10 Uttar Pradesh and one Uttarakhand Rajya Sabha seat, plus a West Bengal by-election.
Nine Uttar Pradesh seats and the Uttarakhand seat are due to become vacant when members’ terms end on November 25; a further Uttar Pradesh seat has been vacant since Dinesh Sharma’s resignation.
The election notification will be issued on September 29, with nominations closing October 6, scrutiny on October 7 and withdrawals ending October 9.
Polling will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 16, followed by vote counting at 5 p.m.
Based on current assembly numbers, the BJP-led alliance is projected to win eight Uttar Pradesh seats and the Samajwadi Party two, while the BJP is expected to retain Uttarakhand and gain the West Bengal seat.
- Who
- The Election Commission of India announced elections involving Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
- What
- Elections will cover 10 Uttar Pradesh seats, one Uttarakhand seat and one West Bengal by-election.
- When
- Polling is scheduled for October 16; the notification is due September 29 and counting will begin at 5 p.m. that day.
- Where
- The seats represent Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
- Why
- The elections address scheduled term expirations and vacancies created by the resignations of Dinesh Sharma and Rukmini Mallick.
Projected Election Outcomes
Political Representation Risks
Uttar Pradesh seat distribution
Projected Election Outcomes
Based on current assembly arithmetic, the BJP-led alliance is projected to win eight of the 10 seats, while the Samajwadi Party is projected to win two.
Political Representation Risks
The Bahujan Samaj Party may lose its Rajya Sabha representation because it does not have enough Uttar Pradesh legislators to retain Ramji Gautam’s seat independently.
BJP-BSP relationship
Projected Election Outcomes
The BJP previously fielded eight candidates for 10 seats, leaving room for BSP candidate Ramji Gautam to be elected unopposed.
Political Representation Risks
The Samajwadi Party alleged a BJP-BSP understanding after the nomination of an SP-backed Independent was rejected.
West Bengal by-election
Projected Election Outcomes
The reports say the BJP is expected to win the seat because it has a clear majority in the West Bengal Assembly.
Political Representation Risks
The seat became vacant after Trinamool Congress-linked MP Rukmini Mallick resigned, and the by-election will determine who serves the remainder of her term until April 2, 2032.
- Polling date
- October 16
- Seats covered
- 10 Uttar Pradesh seats, one Uttarakhand seat and one West Bengal by-election
- Election notification
- September 29
- Nomination deadline
- October 6
- Polling hours
- 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Counting
- Begins at 5 p.m. on October 16
- Reported discrepancy
- The reports differ on the names and number of Uttar Pradesh seats described as expiring versus already vacant; they consistently identify 10 UP seats overall, including Dinesh Sharma’s vacant seat
Sources
Rajya Sabha polls for 10 UP, 1 Uttarakhand seats on October 16
EC announces October 16 date for Rajya Sabha polls to 12 seats in UP, Uttarakhand and Bengal
EC announces biennial polls on October 16 for 11 Rajya Sabha seats across UP, Uttarakhand
