Bhubaneswar, Feb 26: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a notification for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha, with polling scheduled for March 16, 2026. This follows a notification from the President of India under Section 12 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha are set to become vacant on April 2, 2026, due to the retirement of sitting members. The retiring members include Niranjan Bishi and Munna Khan from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), and Sujeet Kumar and Mamata Mohanta from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha, as in other states, will be held through an indirect voting process, with the elected members of the State Legislative Assembly casting their votes. The election schedule provided by the ECI is as follows:
Last date for filing nominations: March 5, 2026
Scrutiny of nominations: March 6, 2026
Last date for withdrawal of candidatures: March 9, 2026
Polling (if required): March 16, 2026
Completion of election: March 20, 2026
Polling, if necessary, will be conducted between 9 am and 4 pm on March 16.
In addition to Odisha, Rajya Sabha elections will also be held in nine other states, including Maharashtra (7 seats), Tamil Nadu (6 seats), West Bengal (5 seats), Bihar (5 seats), Assam (3 seats), Chhattisgarh (2 seats), Haryana (2 seats), Telangana (2 seats), and Himachal Pradesh (1 seat).
The ECI's notification marks the formal start of the election process, and political parties in Odisha are expected to announce their candidates in the coming days.
