12 Rajya Sabha Vacancies, Including 1 From Odisha To Go To Polls On Sept 3

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has scheduled by-elections to fill 12 vacancies in the Rajya Sabha for September 3. This includes one seat from Odisha.

Ten vacancies arose after the sitting members were elected to the Lok Sabha, and two additional seats opened following resignations from members in Odisha and Telangana last month.

A notable resignation was that of Mamata Mohanta, a BJD Rajya Sabha member from Odisha, who stepped down on July 31, two years before her term was set to end. Elected on April 3, 2020, Mahanta, an OBC leader from Mayurbhanj, subsequently joined the BJP on August 1.

The ECI outlined the election timeline: notifications will be issued on August 14, with the deadline for filing nominations on August 21. Withdrawal deadlines are August 26 for Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Tripura, and August 27 for Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Telangana, and Odisha. Voting will take place on September 3 from 9 am to 4 pm, with counting starting at 5 pm. Results are expected the same day.