Rajya Sabha elections announced for 37 seats: Know voting date and result schedule

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Elections 2026 dates have finally been announced today. The Election Commission has released the complete schedule for a total of 37 seats in 10 states. These seats are falling vacant due to retirement in April 2026, and MLAs from state assemblies will vote to fill them. These elections are going to be very interesting because in big states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, many veteran leaders are retiring, like Sharad Pawar, Ramdas Athawale, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Harivansh, Kanimozhi etc.

What is the election schedule?

• Notification release date: 26 February
• Last date for filing nomination: 5 March
• Scrutiny of nomination: 6 March
• Last date for withdrawal of nomination: 9 March 
• Voting: March 16 (9 am to 4 pm)
• Counting of votes: Same day from 5 pm onwards
• Deadline to complete the entire process: 20 March

Voting and results are both on the same day – 16th March! Only MLAs will be voters; hence, mathematics will be done according to the number of MLAs and strength of parties in every state.

How many seats in which states?

• Maharashtra: 7 (Maximum, around 37-38 votes are required for one seat here, so the contest will be tense!)
• Tamil Nadu: 6
• Bihar: 6
• West Bengal: 5
• Odisha: 4
• Assam: 3
• Chhattisgarh: 2
• Telangana: 2
• Haryana: 2
• Himachal Pradesh: 1

Total of 10 states, 37 seats. Sharad Pawar is preparing to contest again in Maharashtra, so there will be a lot of drama there. In other states too, parties may already be engaged in manipulation.

What level has the preparation of political parties reached?

Ever since the date was revealed, a round of meetings has started within the parties. Discussion has intensified on the names of possible candidates. Due to clear majorities in many states, the candidates are considered almost certain, while in some states, parties are being extra cautious in view of the possibility of cross voting.

Will the role of allies be decisive?

Where no single party has a clear majority, the support of allies becomes extremely important. In such states, negotiations behind the scenes regarding seat distribution and support are expected to intensify. This is the reason why the role of small parties can also be important in this election.

What will be the impact of changing the equations of Rajya Sabha?

The balance of seats in the Rajya Sabha directly affects the legislative capacity of the government. If the number of ruling party or its allies increases then it may become easier to pass the bill. At the same time, if the number of opposition becomes stronger, the government may have to face more challenges.

Is this election just a formality or a political fight?

Although Rajya Sabha elections are not much discussed among the general public, this election is very strategic for political parties. Many times, in these elections, parties try to show their strength and indicate the future of politics.