Biennial elections to 56 Rajya Sabha seats, which could render the United Progressive Alliance in a minority in the Upper House, would be held on March 26 following retirement of as many members, including rebel Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Gujarat Keshubhai Patel.

Seven members are retiring from Maharashtra followed by six each from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, five each from West Bengal and Bihar, four each from Orissa and Gujarat.

Three members from Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Rajasthan, two each from Jharkhand, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and one each from Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh would retire in April.

By-election to one seat from Bihar following death of RJD member Motiur Rahman would also be held on March 26, EC said.

The EC said elections to four seats in Karnataka would not be held following dissolution of the state assembly. Janardhan Poojary, Prema Cariappa, M V Rajashekaran and Vijay Mallya [Images] would be retiring in April. 

According to the schedule announced by the EC, notifications would be issued on March eight and the last date for filing nominations would be on March 15. While the scrutiny would take place on March 17, last date for withdrawal of nominations would be on March 19.

Counting of votes would take place on March 26 at the end of the polling.

The retiring members include Union Ministers Murli Deora, Prithviraj Chavan, Prem Chand Gupta, T Subbirami Reddy, G K Vasan and Suresh Pachouri, senior Congress leader Motilal Vora and K Natwar Singh, who has already signed his seat.

Among the retiring members, Congress accounts for 15 followed by BJP (9), AIADMK and TDP four each and CPI-M and RJD three each.

The Commission also decided to hold biennial elections to 18 seats, nine each in Maharashtra and Bihar Legislative Councils on the same schedule.