LUCKNOW: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday announced the schedule for the biennial elections to 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh and one seat from Uttarakhand, with polling slated for October 16.Of the 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh that will fall vacant on November 25, eight are currently held by the BJP, and one each by the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). The eight BJP MPs completing their tenure are Dinesh Sharma, Seema Dwivedi, Neeraj Shekhar, Arun Singh, BL Verma, Geeta Shakya, Hardeep Singh Puri and Brij Lal. Sharma has already resigned from the Upper House following his appointment as the 14th Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.SP national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav and BSP leader Ramji Lal Gautam will also complete their terms.Rajya Sabha elections are conducted through proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote, with elected MLAs forming the electoral college. Consequently, the outcome depends on the numerical strength of political parties and alliances in the respective state assemblies.Given the effective strength of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly at 397, each candidate will require at least 37 first-preference votes to secure election. The BJP-led NDA has adequate numbers to comfortably ensure the victory of eight candidates, while the SP has sufficient strength to elect two candidates.The BSP, which currently has no representation in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, will be unable to get any candidate elected. As a result, the Mayawati-led party will lose its remaining presence in the Rajya Sabha. The BSP also has no representation in the Lok Sabha.The elections assume significance in Uttar Pradesh as the ruling BJP and opposition parties seek to mobilise their respective strengths in the Assembly to shape the composition of the 10 Rajya Sabha seats that are falling vacant.According to the ECI schedule, notifications for the elections will be issued on September 29, while the last date for filing nominations is October 6. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on October 7, and candidates may withdraw their nominations until October 9.Polling will be held on October 16 from 9 am to 4 pm, followed by counting of votes at 5 pm the same day. The election process is scheduled to be completed by October 19.Alongside the biennial elections, the ECI has also announced a by-election to one Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal. The vacancy arose following the resignation of Rukmini Mallik on July 16, 2026. Her term was originally due to continue until April 2, 2032. The West Bengal by-election will follow the same schedule, with polling and counting to be held on October 16.
