New Delhi, Oct 22: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday announced the schedule for a by-election to fill a vacant Rajya Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh following the resignation of L. Murugan.

According to the Commission, the vacancy took effect on October 14 after Murugan resigned. His term in the Upper House was originally scheduled to continue until April 2, 2030.

As per the announced schedule, the notification for the by-election will be issued on October 26, while the last date for filing nominations is November 2. The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on November 3, and candidates can withdraw their nominations until November 5.

Polling will be held on November 12 from 9 am to 4 pm, with counting of votes scheduled to begin at 5 pm on the same day. The entire election process must be completed by November 16, 2026.

In a directive to ensure the integrity of the voting process, the ECI has instructed electors to use only the specified integrated violet-colour sketch pens supplied by the Returning Officer to mark their preferences on ballot papers. The use of any other pen has been prohibited.

The Commission has also directed officials to put adequate monitoring arrangements in place. Observers will be appointed to oversee the election and ensure that it is conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.

With the election schedule announced, political activity in Madhya Pradesh is expected to gather pace ahead of the November 12 contest.