Bhubaneswar: The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the biennial elections to the Council of States to fill four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha. These seats are among the 37 vacancies occurring across 10 states as members complete their terms in April 2026.
The four members from Odisha whose terms are set to expire on April 2, 2026, include Mamata Mohanta, Muzibulla Khan, Sujeet Kumar, and Niranjan Bishi. The election process for these vacancies will officially begin with the issuance of notifications on February 26, 2026.
According to the timeline released by the Commission, the deadline for filing nominations is March 5. The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on March 6, while candidates will have until March 9 to withdraw their names from the contest.
Polling for the four seats is scheduled for March 16, with voting hours set between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm. The counting of votes will be conducted on the same day starting at 5:00 pm. The entire election process is expected to be completed by March 20.
To maintain the integrity of the voting process, the Commission has mandated that only integrated violet colour sketch pens of specific technical standards, provided by the Returning Officer, be used by electors to mark their preferences on the ballot paper. Use of any other writing instrument will render the vote invalid.
In addition to these procedural requirements, the Commission will appoint observers to monitor the election and ensure a free and fair polling process in the state.