EC announces Rajya Sabha poll date, Sunetra Pawar's seat up for by-elections

The Election Commission of India has announced that elections and by-elections for 26 Rajya Sabha seats across 12 states will be held on June 18. This includes biennial elections for 24 seats in 10 states where members are completing their terms, alongside by-elections for two crucial seats in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

The by-elections will see contests for the seats vacated by Sunetra Ajit Pawar in Maharashtra and CV Shanmugam in Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, the regular biennial elections will fill 24 seats left vacant by retiring veterans.

The by-election in Maharashtra was necessitated after Pawar resigned from her Rajya Sabha seat following her victory in the Baramati assembly bypoll. The assembly seat had fallen vacant after the tragic death of her husband and Maharashtra's former Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar, in a helicopter crash. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu by-poll was triggered after Shanmugam vacated his Rajya Sabha seat following his victory from the Mailam constituency in the state assembly elections.

Prominent leaders among those completing their tenures include Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Janata Dal(Secular) supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, and Nabam Rebia from Arunachal Pradesh.

A state-wise breakdown of the 24 seats up for regular elections shows that Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat will see contests for four seats each. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh will go to the polls for three seats each, while Jharkhand will see elections for two seats. Additionally, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Mizoram will each vote to fill one seat.

According to the official notification, the formal poll process will commence on June 1 with the issuance of the election notification, and the deadline for filing nominations has been set for June 8.

Voting is scheduled to take place on June 18 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The counting of votes will begin later that evening, with the final results expected to be declared by late night.

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