Voting Today for 37 Rajya Sabha Seats Across 10 States, Counting to Begin in Evening

New Delhi, March 2026 : Voting for the biennial elections to 37 seats in the Rajya Sabha will take place on Monday, with polling scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., according to the Election Commission of India. The counting of votes will begin at 5:00 p.m. on the same day, soon after the polling concludes.

The Election Commission has laid out a detailed plan to ensure the smooth conduct of the electoral process. These elections are being held to fill 37 vacancies in the Upper House that have arisen due to the completion of terms of several sitting members whose tenure ends in April.

The seats are spread across ten states. Maharashtra has the highest number of vacancies with seven seats going to polls. Tamil Nadu will elect six members, while Bihar and West Bengal will each elect five members. Four seats are being contested in Odisha, while Assam will elect three members. Two seats each are up for election in Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Haryana, while one seat will be filled in Himachal Pradesh.

The poll body had earlier announced the schedule for these biennial elections on February 18. Members of legislative assemblies in the respective states will cast their votes to elect representatives to the Rajya Sabha.

Several prominent leaders are among those whose terms in the Upper House are set to expire next month. These include Union Ministers Ramnath Thakur and Ramdas Athawale, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh, and senior leader Sharad Pawar from the Nationalist Congress Party – Sharad Pawar.

Other members completing their tenure include Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, senior Indian National Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M. Thambidurai, and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Tiruchi Siva.

The Election Commission has issued strict guidelines for the voting process. Legislators casting their votes must use only the integrated violet-coloured sketch pens provided by the Returning Officer to mark their preferences on the ballot paper. The use of any other pen has been strictly prohibited to maintain uniformity and prevent invalid votes.

Additionally, the Commission has appointed observers to closely monitor the voting process in each state to ensure transparency and fairness during the election.

Unlike the Lok Sabha, which is elected for a five-year term and can be dissolved, the Rajya Sabha is a permanent body that continues to function without interruption. Members of the Upper House serve six-year terms, with one-third of the members retiring every two years. These biennial elections are therefore held regularly to fill the vacancies and maintain continuity and institutional experience in Parliament.