Bhubaneswar,(Reporterspen), Aug 7: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that elections to fill 12 Rajya Sabha vacancies, including one from Odisha, will be held on September 3. The vacancies arose from 10 sitting MPs being elected to the Lower House and two members resigning last month from Odisha and Telangana.
Mamata Mahanta, the BJD Rajya Sabha member from Odisha, resigned unexpectedly on July 31, two years before her term was set to end. Elected on April 3, 2020, Mahanta, an OBC leader from Mayurbhanj, also left the BJD and joined the BJP on August 1.
The ECI has outlined the election schedule: notifications will be issued on August 14, the deadline for filing nominations is August 21, and withdrawals will be accepted until August 26 for Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Tripura, and August 27 for Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Telangana, and Odisha. Polling will take place on September 3 from 9 am to 4 pm, with vote counting beginning at 5 pm. Results for all 12 seats are expected to be announced the same day.
