**Executive Summary**
The Election Commission of India has announced elections for 27 seats in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and various State Legislative Councils. The election process commenced on June 1, 2026, with the deadline for filing nominations set for June 8, 2026. Key milestones include nomination scrutiny on June 9, withdrawal by June 11, and polling followed by counting on June 18, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Election Scope and Seat Distribution**
* **Council of States (Rajya Sabha):** A total of 27 seats are up for election, including 24 biennial seats across 10 states and three bye-election seats (one each in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha).
* **State Legislative Councils (by MLAs):** Biennial elections will be held for nine seats in Bihar and seven seats in Karnataka, alongside one bye-election in Bihar.
* **Participating States:** The 10 states involved in the biennial Rajya Sabha elections include Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Mizoram.
**Administrative and Statutory Notifications**
* Official notifications for the election programme have been issued.
* Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) have been appointed for all biennial and bye-elections.
* Details regarding these appointments are published in the Gazette of India and respective State Gazettes.
**Election Timeline and Procedures**
* **Nomination Period:** Filing began at 11:00 AM on June 1, 2026, and concludes at 3:00 PM on June 8, 2026.
* **Scrutiny and Withdrawal:** ROs will scrutinize nominations on June 9, 2026; the final date for the withdrawal of candidatures is June 11, 2026.
* **Poll and Counting:** For contested elections, polling will take place on June 18, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with the counting of votes commencing at 5:00 PM the same day.
**Impact Analysis**
**Prospective Candidates and Political Parties**
**Impact**
Candidates are subject to strict statutory timelines for the submission and withdrawal of nomination papers across multiple states.
**Action Required**
Must ensure all nomination filings are completed by the June 8 deadline (3:00 PM) and decide on any withdrawals by June 11, 2026.
**Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs)**
**Impact**
These officials are legally responsible for the execution of the election programme, including the scrutiny of applications and oversight of the polling process.
**Action Required**
Must conduct the formal scrutiny of nominations on June 9, 2026, and manage polling and counting operations on June 18, 2026.
**Members of State Legislative Assemblies (MLAs)**
**Impact**
MLAs in the specified states (Bihar and Karnataka) serve as the electorate for the State Legislative Council seats.
**Action Required**
Eligible MLAs must participate in the polling process on June 18, 2026, between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM if the elections are contested.
Key Entities Referenced
Election Commission of India (ECI): The primary regulatory body responsible for announcing and conducting the 2026 elections for the Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Councils.
Council of States (Rajya Sabha): The upper house of India's Parliament, for which 27 seats across 13 states are scheduled for biennial and bye-elections.
State Legislative Councils: Upper houses of state legislatures in Bihar and Karnataka undergoing biennial and bye-elections for 17 total seats.
Returning Officers: Appointed officials responsible for overseeing the election programme, including the scrutiny of nominations and the conduct of polls.
Applicable States: The geographic scope of the elections, including Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and ten other states such as Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Election Commission
Elections for the Council of States and State
Legislative Councils, 2026
Filing of Nominations begins
Posted On: 01 JUN 2026 3:43PM by PIB Delhi
1. Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced elections to 27 seats in the Council of States
(Rajya Sabha) including biennial and bye-elections and for the State Legislative Councils (by
MLAs) in 3 states.
2. The details are summarised in the table below:
Legislative Body Election Type State(s) Seats
Council of States (Rajya Sabha) Biennial election 10 States* 24
Council of States (Rajya Sabha) Bye-election Maharashtra 1
Council of States (Rajya Sabha) Bye-election Tamil Nadu 1
Council of States (Rajya Sabha) Bye-election Odisha 1
State Legislative Councils (by MLAs) Biennial election Bihar 9
State Legislative Councils (by MLAs) Biennial election Karnataka 7
State Legislative Councils (by MLAs) Bye-election Bihar 1
States: Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Arunachal
Pradesh, Karnataka and Mizoram
3. Commission has issued notifications regarding the election programme and has appointed
Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers (for both biennial and bye elections).
Details of the appointment have been published in the Gazette of India/State Gazettes today.4. With this, the filing of nominations for all the aforesaid elections began from 11:00 AM today, i.e.,
June 1, 2026. The last date for filing of nominations is June 8, 2026, till 3:00 PM.
5. The scrutiny of nominations for each of these elections shall be taken up by the Returning Officers
(ROs) concerned on June 9, 2026. The last date for withdrawal of candidatures is fixed on June
11, 2026.
6. In case of contested elections, the poll shall be held on June 18, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM,
followed by the counting of votes at 5:00 PM, in respect of all these elections.
**********
PK/GDH/RP
(Release ID: 2267512) Visitor Counter : 2486
Read this release in: Urdu , Marathi , ही , Bengali , Telugu , Kannada