Election Commission announces Rajya Sabha elections for 56 seats across 15 states on February 27

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has declared elections for 56 Rajya Sabha seats in 15 states, scheduled to take place on February 27. The official announcement comes as the term of office for 56 members of the Council of States from these states is set to expire in April 2024.

According to the official note released by the ECI, the nomination will start from February 8. The last date for the submission of nomination papers is February 15 at 5 pm. The scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on February 16. The last date for withdrawal of nominations has been kept as February 20. The elections will be conducted on February 27 from 9 am to 4 pm. The counting of votes will take place on the same day at 5 pm.

The vacant seats up for contention are distributed across states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Karnataka, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

States and number of vacant seats:

1. Andhra Pradesh: 3
2. Bihar: 6
3. Chhattisgarh: 1
4. Gujarat: 4
5. Haryana: 1
6. Himachal Pradesh: 1
7. Karnataka: 4
8. Madhya Pradesh: 5
9. Maharashtra: 6
10. Telangana: 3
11. Uttar Pradesh: 10
12. Uttarakhand: 1
13. West Bengal: 5
14. Odisha: 3
15. Rajasthan: 3