EC Announces Rajya Sabha Polls for 37 Seats Across 10 States on March 16

• Election Commission releases schedule for biennial elections to 37 Rajya Sabha seats in 10 states.
• Terms of sitting members from Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana end in April 2026.
• Nomination filing closes March 5, scrutiny on March 6, and withdrawal by March 9.
• Polling and vote counting scheduled for March 16; entire process concludes by March 20.
• EC mandates specific violet sketch pen for marking preferences on ballot papers and intensifies EVM/VVPAT awareness drive.