Rajya Sabha bypolls to be held on June 26

The Election Commission has decided to hold bypolls to eight Rajya Sabha seats, including the four in Karnataka, on June 26. Bye-elections to four seats in Karnataka have been necessitated following retirement of senior Congress members Janardhana Poojary, Prema Cariappa and M V Rajashekaran and also Vijay Mallya, of the Janata Party. Elections to the seats could not be held earlier due to non-existence of the Electoral College which is the state assembly.

Polls to three casual vacancies -- one each in Bihar, Nagaland and West Bengal will also be held on the same day. In Bihar, bypolls will be held to fill the vacancy caused by the disqualification of Bharatiya Janata Party member Jai Narayan Prasad Nishad. In Nagaland and West Bengal, elections will be held for one seat each with the resignation of T R Zeliang and Barun Mukherjee. "There is another seat (which is) going to be vacant on July 18 in Mizoram due to the retirement of sitting member Lalhmingliana," the EC said.

The commission also decided to hold bypolls to seven seats in Karnataka Legislative Council and one in Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council the same day. According to the schedule, notifications will be issued on June 9 and last date for filing nominations will be June 16. The scrutiny of nominations will take place the following day. The last date for the withdrawal of nominations is June 19. The counting of votes will take place on June 26 after the polling.