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Rajya Sabha Elections To Be Held On June 18; ECI Releases Schedule
Vinita Bhat | June 1, 2026 7:11 PM CST

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced the schedule for elections to 27 seats in the Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Councils, with polling set to be held on June 18 if contests arise. The exercise includes biennial elections to 24 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states and three by-elections in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Odisha. The poll body has also notified elections to State Legislative Councils in Bihar and Karnataka. Filing of nominations commenced on June 1, with the election process expected to conclude later this month.

Rajya Sabha Polls

According to the ECI, biennial elections will be held for 24 Rajya Sabha seats across Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Mizoram.

In addition, by-elections will be conducted for one Rajya Sabha seat each in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Odisha, taking the total number of Upper House seats going to the polls to 27.

The Commission has issued notifications for the elections and appointed Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers. Details of these appointments have been published in the Gazette of India and the respective State Gazettes.

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Council Elections

The ECI also announced biennial elections to State Legislative Councils in Bihar and Karnataka. Bihar will elect nine members, while Karnataka will elect seven. A by-election for one additional Legislative Council seat will also be held in Bihar.

The nomination process began at 11 am on June 1 and will remain open until 3 pm on June 8. Scrutiny of nomination papers is scheduled for June 9, while candidates can withdraw their nominations until June 11.

In the event of contested elections, polling will take place on June 18 between 8 am and 4 pm. Counting of votes will be conducted the same day from 5 pm onwards.

The announcement formally sets the electoral process in motion for vacancies arising in the Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Councils, paving the way for political parties to finalise their candidates and electoral strategies ahead of the June 18 polls.

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