NEW DELHI (Feb 18, 2026) — The Election Commission has scheduled biennial polls for 37 Rajya Sabha seats on March 16, marking a major political face-off as the terms of several heavyweights expire this April.

Poll Schedule

• Notification: Feb 26
• Nominations Close: March 5
• Voting & Counting: March 16

Vacancies by State

The 37 seats are spread across 10 states, with Maharashtra (7) and Tamil Nadu (6) holding the most influence. Other states include Bihar (5), West Bengal (5), Odisha (4), Assam (3), Telangana (2), Chhattisgarh (2), Haryana (2), and Himachal Pradesh (1).

High-Stakes Retirements

The elections will decide the future of several veteran leaders:

• Opposition: Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress), Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP), and Abhishek Manu Singhvi (Congress).
• NDA/Others: Ramdas Athawale (RPI-A), Harivansh (RS Deputy Chairman), and Priyanka Chaturvedi (SS-UBT).