Election Commission Announces Rajya Sabha Polls for 24 Seats Across 10 States on June 18

The Election Commission of India on Friday announced biennial elections to fill 24 seats in the Rajya Sabha , with polling scheduled for June 18, 2026 . The seats are falling vacant due to the retirement of members in June and July 2026, as the tenures of 24 Rajya Sabha members elected from 10 states are set to expire during this period.

As per the schedule released by the ECI, notifications for the elections will be issued on June 1 . The last date for filing nominations is June 8 . Scrutiny of nominations will take place on June 9 , and candidates can withdraw their nominations till June 11 . Polling will be conducted on June 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Counting of votes will begin at 5 p.m. the same day , and the entire election process will be completed by June 20 .

The elections will be held across 10 states . Four seats each will be contested in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Karnataka . Three seats each are in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan . Two seats are in Jharkhand , and one seat each in Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram .

The announcement has set the stage for major political activity in the Upper House , with several senior leaders completing their tenures. Among those retiring are former Prime Minister and JD S patriarch H D Deve Gowda and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge , both from Karnataka, Union Ministers Ravneet Singh from Rajasthan and George Kurian from Madhya Pradesh, former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh , and Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil .

The election will also be held for the seat held by the late Shibu Soren from Jharkhand, which has remained vacant since August 4, 2025 . Other members whose terms are ending include Ayodhya Rami Reddy Alla, Pilli Subhaschandra Bose, Rambhai Harjibhai Mokariya, Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba, Wanweiroy Kharlukhi, Neeraj Dangi, Rajendra Gehlot, Nabam Rebia, Iranna Kadadi, and K Vanlalvena, among others.

The elections carry considerable political significance. The year 2026 will see elections to 72 seats in the 245 member Rajya Sabha , in which the ruling NDA is projected to win around 50 seats . The BJP led NDA currently has the support of 135 MPs in the Upper House, and after elections through November, its strength is expected to rise to around 145 , while the I N D I A bloc may stand at around 75 .

The Congress is set to cease having a member in the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat with Shaktisinh Gohil's retirement, and will have no representation in as many as 17 states and Union Territories. The biennial exercise will thus be closely watched by all political parties as they calibrate their arithmetic in the Upper House ahead of crucial legislative battles in the coming years.