The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday announced the schedule for bye-election to 12 Rajya Sabha seats in Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tripura, Telangana and Odisha.
The bye-election to 12 seats in Upper House in nine states were necessitated following election of 10 members to the 18th Lok Sabha and two others due to resignation.
Among the members who tendered their resignation after elected as a member of the Lower House include Union Ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Jyotiraditya Scindia, former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb and senior Congress leader KC Venugopal.
According to a communiqué issued by the ECI, polling in these 12 Rajya Sabha seats in nine states will be held on 3rd September.
The notification for the poll would be issued on 14th August. The last date of filing of nomination is 21st August and the date of scrutiny is 22nd August, it said.
The last date for withdrawal of candidature for Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tripura is 26th August , while for Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Telangana and Odisha is 27th August.
The counting of votes will take place on 3rd September after the polling. The date before which the election should be completed is 6th September.
The ECI said it has directed that for the purpose of marking preference(s) on the ballot paper, only integrated violet colour sketch pen(s) of pre-fixed specification, provided by the Returning Officer, shall be used.
No other pen shall, under any circumstances, be used in the elections, it said.
The poll panel also directed for adequate measures for close monitoring of the election process by appointing observers to be taken to ensure free and fair elections.