Rajya Sabha Election 2026: October 9 Withdrawal Deadline, 12 Seats Across UP, Uttarakhand and Bengal
The October 9 withdrawal deadline will determine whether voting is required for 12 Rajya Sabha seats across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. The Election Commission has scheduled polling for October 16 wherever a contest remains.
Rajya Sabha election process ahead of the October 9 withdrawal deadline and October 16 scheduled polling
Table of Contents (22 sections)
The next key deadline in India's October 2026 Rajya Sabha election cycle arrives on Friday, October 9, when candidates have their final opportunity to withdraw from contests covering 12 seats across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
The Election Commission's schedule covers 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, one in Uttarakhand and a separate by-election for one vacant West Bengal seat. Polling, wherever required, is scheduled for October 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with counting due to begin at 5 p.m. the same day. The overall election process is scheduled to be completed by October 19.
However, October 16 should not automatically be described as a polling day for every one of the 12 seats.
Where the number of valid candidates remaining after withdrawals does not exceed the number of vacancies, candidates can be returned unopposed, making an actual ballot unnecessary.
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That distinction is particularly important in Uttar Pradesh, where the nomination picture as of October 8 indicates that the state's 10 seats are set to be filled without a contest, subject to completion of the formal withdrawal process.
Rajya Sabha Election 2026: Seats by State
The current election programme involves:
State
Seats in Election Process
Type
Uttar Pradesh
10
Biennial vacancies plus one existing vacancy
Uttarakhand
1
Biennial election
West Bengal
1
By-election
Total
12
—
The Election Commission originally announced biennial elections to 11 seats—10 from Uttar Pradesh and one from Uttarakhand—alongside a West Bengal by-election, bringing the combined number involved in the October exercise to 12.
Rajya Sabha Election 2026 Full Schedule
The timetable announced for these elections is:
Notification: September 29, 2026
Last date for nominations: October 6
Scrutiny of nominations: October 7
Last date for withdrawal: October 9
Polling, if required: October 16, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Counting, if polling takes place: October 16 from 5 p.m.
Election process to be completed by: October 19
The most important date now is October 9 because the final list of contesting candidates becomes clear after the withdrawal period ends.
Why Are 10 Uttar Pradesh Seats Involved?
Uttar Pradesh accounts for the overwhelming majority of seats in this round.
Nine seats are linked to members whose terms are due to end on November 25, 2026.
They include seats held by:
Ram Gopal Yadav
Hardeep Singh Puri
Arun Singh
Geeta Shakya
Neeraj Shekhar
Brij Lal
Ramji Gautam
Banwari Lal Verma
Seema Dwivedi
A tenth Uttar Pradesh seat had already become vacant after Dinesh Sharma's resignation took effect on September 11, following his appointment as Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The Election Commission included all 10 Uttar Pradesh vacancies in the October exercise.
Who Has Been Nominated in Uttar Pradesh?
By the October 6 nomination deadline, the BJP had fielded eight candidates in Uttar Pradesh:
Dharampal Singh
Radhakant Ojha
Prakash Pal
Vidyasagar Sonkar
Gopi Krishna Pandey
Priyanka Singh Rawat
Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan
Shruti Gangwar
The Samajwadi Party fielded two:
Ram Gopal Yadav
Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani
The Samajwadi Party had earlier been expected in some political reporting to consider a third nominee, which could have created a contest for the final seats.
It ultimately did not field that additional candidate by the nomination deadline.
That left 10 candidates for 10 Uttar Pradesh seats.
Provided there is no procedural change before the withdrawal process concludes, the eight BJP nominees and two SP nominees are positioned to be returned unopposed rather than face voting on October 16.
The formal position should nevertheless be described as subject to completion of the October 9 withdrawal stage rather than treating the result as already declared.
Why October 9 Matters in Uttar Pradesh
The absence of an excess candidate means there is presently no competitive ballot in Uttar Pradesh.
But the election calendar still has to proceed through its statutory stages.
October 9 is therefore the point after which the Returning Officer can act on the final field of candidates.
Reporting before that stage should distinguish between:
“set to be elected unopposed”
and
“elected unopposed.”
The latter should be used only after the formal declaration.
This distinction matters because election outcomes should not be reported as official before the competent election authority completes the required process.
Uttarakhand: One Rajya Sabha Seat
Uttarakhand has one seat in the October election schedule.
The seat is currently associated with BJP MP Naresh Bansal, whose term is due to end on November 25.
The BJP has nominated Dinesh Arya for the vacancy.
Arya filed his nomination on October 6 in Dehradun.
Because the final withdrawal deadline has not yet passed as of October 8, the safest publication wording is to wait for the final contesting-candidate list before declaring whether an October 16 ballot will actually be required in Uttarakhand.
West Bengal: Why Is There a By-Election?
West Bengal's election is different from the regular vacancies in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
It is a Rajya Sabha by-election arising from a casual vacancy.
The vacancy followed the resignation of Rukmini Mallick, better known as Bengali actor Koel Mallick, from the Rajya Sabha on July 16.
Unlike a regular six-year election, a member elected in a Rajya Sabha by-election ordinarily serves only the remaining portion of the original member's term.
The Election Commission's election information reported that the West Bengal seat's remaining term runs until April 2, 2032.
Koel Mallick Returns as BJP Candidate
The political circumstances surrounding the Bengal vacancy are unusual.
Mallick had entered the Rajya Sabha earlier in 2026 as a Trinamool Congress member before resigning in July.
She subsequently joined the BJP, which selected her as its candidate for the by-election to the same vacant seat.
Mallick formally joined the BJP and filed her Rajya Sabha nomination on October 5.
The development has attracted political attention because it could result in Mallick returning to the same House representing a different political party.
Any final declaration, however, depends on completion of the nomination and withdrawal process.
Will Voting Definitely Take Place on October 16?
Not necessarily.
The Election Commission's October 16 date applies if polling is required.
If, after scrutiny and withdrawals, the number of valid candidates is equal to or lower than the number of available seats in a state, no competitive vote is necessary for those vacancies.
This is why the October 9 withdrawal deadline is more important than the nominal October 16 polling date for determining where an actual ballot will occur.
In Uttar Pradesh, current nominations indicate an uncontested outcome for all 10 seats.
For Uttarakhand and West Bengal, the final candidate position should be confirmed after withdrawals before stating definitively whether polling will occur.
Who Votes in a Rajya Sabha Election?
Ordinary voters do not directly vote in Rajya Sabha elections.
Representatives of states in the Rajya Sabha are elected by the elected members of the respective State Legislative Assembly.
The election uses proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
This is fundamentally different from a Lok Sabha or Assembly election, where eligible members of the public cast ballots directly.
For the October Rajya Sabha elections:
Uttar Pradesh MLAs elect the state's Rajya Sabha representatives;
Uttarakhand MLAs elect the Uttarakhand representative;
West Bengal MLAs elect the member filling the Bengal vacancy.
How Does Rajya Sabha Voting Work?
When a Rajya Sabha election is contested, MLAs rank candidates in order of preference rather than simply selecting one person in a conventional first-past-the-post ballot.
The system uses proportional representation and the single transferable vote.
Each state is treated separately because its Assembly constitutes the electoral college for that state's Rajya Sabha seats.
The number of votes needed to secure election consequently depends on factors including:
the number of seats being filled;
the number of valid MLA votes cast; and
the distribution and transfer of preferences.
This system is intended to allow representation broadly reflecting party strength in the state Assembly rather than awarding every Rajya Sabha vacancy to the largest party.
Does the Public Vote on October 16?
No.
This is one of the most important points for readers searching for the Rajya Sabha election schedule.
There is no general public polling for these Rajya Sabha seats.
The electorate consists of elected state legislators.
Therefore, members of the public do not need to visit polling stations or check their voter IDs for this election.
The October 16 schedule concerns voting by eligible MLAs if a seat remains contested.
Why Is Rajya Sabha a Permanent House?
Unlike the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha is not dissolved as a whole.
It is a continuing chamber of Parliament.
Members elected for normal vacancies generally serve six-year terms, while roughly one-third of the membership retires periodically.
A by-election is held when a seat becomes vacant before the member's normal term expires—for example because of resignation, death or another qualifying vacancy.
A person elected in such a by-election serves the remainder of the original term, rather than automatically receiving a new full six-year term.
That is why West Bengal's October election is being treated differently from the regular biennial vacancies.
Why These Elections Matter for Rajya Sabha Numbers
Rajya Sabha elections can alter party representation in the Upper House even though they do not involve direct public voting.
The party composition of the Rajya Sabha affects the parliamentary process for legislation, debates, committee representation and other House business.
However, the outcome of a Rajya Sabha election should not automatically be interpreted as a fresh statewide public mandate because the electors are MLAs elected in earlier Assembly elections.
The October round therefore reflects current state Assembly arithmetic and candidate nominations rather than a new direct vote by the general electorate.
What Happens on October 9?
The withdrawal deadline is the next decisive administrative stage.
After the deadline closes, election authorities can determine the final list of contesting candidates.
Three broad possibilities exist:
Candidates equal vacancies: election can be concluded without polling.
More candidates than vacancies: voting is required.
A withdrawal changes the candidate field: the final position is recalculated after the deadline.
For Uttar Pradesh, current information points to the first situation.
The formal result should still await the appropriate declaration after the withdrawal period concludes.
What Happens on October 16 if a Poll Is Needed?
Under the Election Commission timetable, polling will run from:
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 16.
Counting will begin at:
5 p.m. on October 16.
Because Rajya Sabha elections involve a limited electoral college of MLAs rather than millions of public voters, counting takes place on the same day.
The Commission has set October 19 as the deadline for completing the entire election process.
Are EVMs Used in Rajya Sabha Elections?
Rajya Sabha elections use a preferential ballot rather than the normal EVM-based system familiar from Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
The Election Commission's instructions for this election say voters are required to mark preferences using the special violet sketch pen supplied by the Returning Officer.
This is important because preference marking and ballot validity operate differently from direct elections conducted using electronic voting machines.
Current Status as of October 8, 2026
The verified position ahead of the withdrawal deadline is:
Total seats in this election cycle: 12.
Uttar Pradesh: 10 seats. Eight BJP candidates and two SP candidates remain positioned for uncontested election because only 10 candidates were fielded for 10 vacancies.
Uttarakhand: One seat. BJP candidate Dinesh Arya filed his nomination.
West Bengal: One by-election. BJP has fielded former TMC MP Rukmini “Koel” Mallick, who filed her nomination after joining the BJP.
Withdrawal deadline: October 9.
Polling if necessary: October 16, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Counting if polling occurs: October 16 from 5 p.m.
Election process deadline: October 19.
What Readers Should Watch on October 9
The most important update will not simply be whether somebody withdraws.
The key question is the final number of valid contesting candidates compared with the number of available seats in each state.
Once that becomes official, it will be possible to state clearly:
which candidates have been elected unopposed;
whether Uttarakhand requires voting;
whether the West Bengal by-election requires voting; and
whether any October 16 Rajya Sabha ballot remains necessary.
For that reason, Rajatheertha should update this story after the withdrawal deadline rather than automatically publishing another article saying all 12 seats “go to polls” on October 16.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Rajya Sabha election in October 2026?
Polling, where necessary, is scheduled for October 16, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with counting from 5 p.m.
What is the last date to withdraw a Rajya Sabha nomination?
The withdrawal deadline is October 9, 2026.
How many Rajya Sabha seats are involved?
A total of 12 seats are involved: 10 from Uttar Pradesh, one from Uttarakhand and one West Bengal by-election.
How many Rajya Sabha seats are being filled from Uttar Pradesh?
Uttar Pradesh has 10 seats in this election exercise.
Will voting take place for all 10 Uttar Pradesh seats?
Current nominations indicate no contest because there are 10 candidates for 10 vacancies—eight BJP nominees and two Samajwadi Party nominees. Formal uncontested election can be confirmed after the withdrawal process concludes.
Who are the BJP candidates from Uttar Pradesh?
They are Dharampal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopi Krishna Pandey, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan and Shruti Gangwar.
Who are the Samajwadi Party candidates?
The SP has fielded Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani.
Who is the BJP candidate from Uttarakhand?
The BJP has nominated Dinesh Arya, who filed his nomination on October 6.
Who is contesting the West Bengal Rajya Sabha by-election for the BJP?
The BJP has fielded actor-politician Rukmini “Koel” Mallick, who previously held the same Rajya Sabha seat as a TMC member before resigning.
Why is West Bengal holding a Rajya Sabha by-election?
The vacancy arose after Rukmini Mallick resigned from the Rajya Sabha on July 16, 2026.
Can ordinary citizens vote in Rajya Sabha elections?
No. Rajya Sabha representatives of a state are elected by the elected members of that state's Legislative Assembly through proportional representation using the single transferable vote.
When will the Rajya Sabha results be announced?
If polling is required, counting is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on October 16. Where there is no contest, candidates can be declared elected without waiting for a poll after the required election formalities are completed.
Bottom Line
The October 9 withdrawal deadline will decide whether any of the 12 Rajya Sabha seats require voting on October 16. Uttar Pradesh’s 10 seats currently appear set for unopposed returns. Ordinary citizens do not vote in these elections.
The Rajatheertha Team publishes news, explainers, guides and updates across India and the world. Our coverage follows Rajatheertha's editorial, verification and corrections standards.
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