Hyderabad: The Election Commission of India has declared biennial elections to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to fill the seats of members whose terms are due to expire in April 2024. A press note issued by the Commission detailed the schedule and important instructions for the electoral process.
According to the announcement, the term of office of 56 members representing 15 states will come to an end with their retirement in April 2024. The states include Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Rajasthan.
The Commission has set a schedule for the election process.
- Issue of Notifications: February 8, 2024 (Thursday)
- Last Date of Nominations: February 15, 2024 (Thursday)
- Scrutiny of Nominations: February 16, 2024 (Friday)
- Last Date for Withdrawal of Candidatures: February 20, 2024 (Tuesday)
- Date of Poll: February 27, 2024 (Tuesday)
- Hours of Poll: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Counting of Votes: February 27, 2024 (Tuesday) at 5:00 pm
- Date before Which Election Shall be Completed: February 29, 2024 (Thursday)
Voters must use violet sketch pens provided by Returning Officers to mark their preferences, as per electoral guidelines. Adherence to COVID-19 guidelines is emphasized for safety.
