New Delhi: The process of filing nominations for the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha begins on Thursday, with 37 seats across 10 states set to go to polls as the terms of several members expire in April 2026.

The Election Commission of India had announced the election schedule on February 18 to fill vacancies arising in Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana.

According to the poll schedule, voting will take place on March 16 between 9 am and 4 pm, with counting scheduled for 5 pm the same day.

The scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on March 6, while March 9 has been set as the last date for candidates to withdraw their nominations.

The Commission has issued detailed guidelines to ensure the smooth conduct of the election process. It has specified that only integrated violet sketch pens of prescribed specifications, supplied by the Returning Officer, will be permitted for marking preferences on ballot papers. The use of any other writing instrument will not be allowed.

Observers will also be deployed to monitor the electoral process to ensure transparency and strict adherence to election rules.

Meanwhile, political parties have begun announcing their candidates for the upcoming contest. The BJP has named several candidates, including Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar from Bihar; Terash Gowalla and Jogen Mohan from Assam; Laxmi Verma from Chhattisgarh; Sanjay Bhatia from Haryana; Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar from Odisha; and Rahul Sinha from West Bengal.

The party has also nominated Vinod Tawde, its National General Secretary and Bihar in-charge, marking his return to parliamentary politics after remaining outside the legislature since 2019.

In Maharashtra, the BJP has renominated Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawale, along with Maya Chintaman Ivnate, a tribal leader and former Mayor of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, and Ramrao Wadkute, a leader from the Dhangar community in Hingoli district.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Wednesday announced its support for NCP-SP chief and former Union Minister Sharad Pawar for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

The decision was announced by Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal at a press conference attended by NCP-SP working president Supriya Sule and senior Congress leaders.

With nominations opening and parties finalising their candidates, the political contest for the 37 Rajya Sabha seats is set to intensify in the coming days.