Rameswar Teli, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Ajit Kumar Bhuyan’s Rajya Sabha Seats Up for Polls

Guwahati: The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the biennial elections to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to fill 37 seats across ten states, including three seats from Assam, which will fall vacant following the retirement of sitting members in April 2026.

In Assam, the seats held by Rameswar Teli, Bhubaneswar Kalita, and Ajit Kumar Bhuyan will become vacant on 9 April 2026. The elections for these seats are scheduled to be held on 16 March 2026, with polling from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and counting of votes at 5:00 pm on the same day.

The Commission has directed that voters must mark their preferences only using the violet-coloured sketch pens provided by the Returning Officer, and no other pen will be allowed. Observers will be appointed to monitor the elections.

The nomination process for the Assam seats will begin with the issue of official notifications on 26 February 2026, and the last date for filing nominations is 5 March 2026. Scrutiny of nominations will be carried out on 6 March, and candidates can withdraw their nominations until 9 March 2026.

Along with Assam, other states going to the polls include Maharashtra (7 seats), Odisha (4 seats), Tamil Nadu (6 seats), West Bengal (5 seats), Bihar (5 seats), Chhattisgarh (2 seats), Haryana (2 seats), Himachal Pradesh (1 seat), and Telangana (2 seats).

The biennial Rajya Sabha elections will be completed by 20 March 2026.

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