The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the schedule for biennial elections to fill 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Additionally, a by-election will be held for one seat in West Bengal. These elections are set to take place in the near future, as confirmed by the ECI on Tuesday.
Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav and Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, the BJP’s Arun Singh, Geeta Shakya, Neeraj Shekhar, Brij Lal, and Seema Dwiwedi, the BSP’s Ramji Gautam, and Union minister of state Banwari Lal Verma are the outgoing Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh. One seat, previously held by the BJP’s Dinesh Sharma, already fell vacant on September 11. Notifications for the elections will be issued on September 29, with nominations to be filed by October 6, according to the schedule. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on October 7, followed by withdrawal of candidatures by October 9. Polling, if required, will be held on October 16 between 9am and 4pm, with counting at 5pm. The entire process must conclude by October 19.
