Assam – The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the upcoming biennial Rajya Sabha elections, setting March 16 as polling day for three seats in Assam. The announcement, made on February 18, covers 37 vacancies across 10 states that will arise in April 2026 as current members complete their terms.
According to the Commission’s notification, elections will be held in Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana. In Assam, the terms of Rameswar Teli, Bhubaneswar Kalita, and Ajit Kumar Bhuyan are coming to an end, prompting the contest for three seats.
The Election Commission has fixed March 16, 2026, as the polling date for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections in Assam. Voting will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with counting scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. the same evening. The process is expected to be completed by March 20.
The notification for the elections will be issued on February 26. Candidates will have until March 5 to submit their nominations, which will be scrutinized on March 6. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is March 9. Polling will then take place on March 16, followed by counting later that day, and the election process will formally conclude on March 20.
The biennial elections will be conducted through the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote, with elected Members of Legislative Assemblies casting ballots.
To ensure uniformity, the Commission has directed that only violet sketch pens of approved specifications, supplied by the Returning Officer, may be used to mark preferences on ballot papers. Observers will be appointed to oversee the process, and strict measures have been mandated to guarantee fairness and transparency.
With 37 seats across 10 states in play, the outcome of these elections is expected to influence the composition of the Upper House, where party strength is shaped by state-level legislative equations.
