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ECI Announces Rajya Sabha Polls Schedule for 37 Seats Across 10 States

The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for biennial elections to fill 37 Rajya Sabha seats across ten states. The notification will be issued on February 26, with polling and vote counting set for March 16. The ECI has mandated that only specific violet sketch pens provided by officials can be used to mark ballot papers. Concurrently, the commission is conducting an extensive EVM and VVPAT awareness campaign in several poll-bound states.

Key Points: Rajya Sabha Elections 2024 Schedule Announced by ECI

  • 37 Rajya Sabha seats up for election
  • Polling scheduled for March 16
  • Strict use of violet sketch pens mandated
  • ECI runs EVM awareness campaign
2 min read

ECI announces schedule for biennial Rajya Sabha polls across 10 states

ECI announces Rajya Sabha poll schedule for 37 seats across 10 states. Voting on March 16. Strict rules for ballot marking with violet pens.

"only integrated violet colour sketch pen(s)... shall be used for the purpose of marking preference(s) - Election Commission press note"

New Delhi, February 18

The Election Commission of India on Wednesday announced the schedule for the upcoming biennial elections to the Council of States to fill the 37 seats across 10 states, as the members are set to complete their term in April 2026, a press note stated.

According to the press note, the term of 37 members who were elected from Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana will conclude in the month of April, vacating the seats for new members to be elected.

The notification will be issued on February 26, commencing the election process. The last date of nominations is March 5, followed by scrutiny on March 6. The candidates can withdraw their nominations till March 9. The polling is scheduled to take place on March 16, with the counting of votes on the same day at 5 pm. The election process will be completed by March 20.

The ECI has instructed that only integrated violet colour sketch pens must be used for marking the preferences on the ballot paper.

"The Commission has directed that only integrated violet colour sketch pen(s) of pre-fixed specification, provided by the Returning Officer, shall be used for the purpose of marking preference(s) on the ballot paper. No other pen shall be used for marking preferences in the above said elections," the press note read.

It also noted that adequate measures must be taken by appointing observers to ensure a smooth and fair conduct of the election process.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched an extensive EVM and VVPAT awareness campaign across poll-bound States and Union Territories of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal to familiarise voters with the functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units.

According to the ECI press note, over 1.20 lakh electors participated in EVM Demonstration camps at EDCs across 5 States and UTs, and over 1.16 lakh electors cast mock votes in these demonstrations. Over 29,000 Polling Station Locations (PSLs) have already been covered by MDVs as of February 10.

The campaign is being conducted through EVM Demonstration Centres (EDCs) and Mobile Demonstration Vans (MDVs) in a structured and time-bound manner, the Commission said in a press note.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priyanka N
Rajya Sabha elections are always so predictable, it's mostly about which party has the numbers in the state assembly. The real test is whether the elected members will actually raise important issues for their states in Parliament or just follow the party line.
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Arjun K
The awareness campaign for EVM/VVPAT is a very positive step. Transparency in the voting process, even for these indirect elections, builds public trust. More citizens should be aware of how their MLAs vote for Rajya Sabha members.
S
Sarah B
Interesting to see the mix of states. Hope the elected members from states like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal will strongly represent regional perspectives in the Upper House, which is its main purpose.
V
Vikram M
While the process seems meticulous, I respectfully feel the ECI could do more to make Rajya Sabha elections more engaging for the common public. It feels like a distant process decided by MLAs. Some public consultation mechanism for potential candidates would be great.
K
Kavya N
The focus on the specific pen colour is funny but important! It prevents any invalid votes due to wrong ink. Chalo, let's see who gets nominated from Maharashtra and Bihar – those will be the key contests to watch.

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