The Election Commission of India has issued a notification for elections to six vacant Rajya Sabha seats. Elections will be held on December 20. The results will also be declared on the same day. Elections will be held on three seats in Andhra Pradesh, one seat each in Odisha, Haryana and West Bengal.

10 December is the last date for filing nominations. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be done on 11 December. Candidates can withdraw their nominations till 13 December. Voting will be held on 20 December from 9 am to 4 pm. Counting of votes will start from 5 pm on the same day.

After the crushing defeat in Haryana and Maharashtra, the Rajya Sabha elections are also a big test for the opposition. In the Maharashtra assembly elections, the opposition alliance has suffered a crushing defeat against the BJP-led alliance. 

• In August, YSRCP members Venkataraman Rao Moppidevi, Beedha Mastan Rao Yadav and Rayaga Krishnaiah resigned from their membership. Since then, three Rajya Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh are vacant. The term of Beedha Mastan Rao Yadav and Rayaga Krishnaiah as Rajya Sabha members was to end on 21 June 2028. At the same time, Moppidevi's term was till 21 June 2026.
• After the resignation of Sujit Kumar, a Rajya Sabha seat in Odisha became vacant. Sujit Kumar's term was till 2 April 2026. However, after his resignation, Biju Janata Dal also expelled him from the party.
• In August this year, a female trainee doctor was raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. After this, TMC leader Jawahar Sarkar resigned from the Rajya Sabha. However, his term was till 2026. Now a by-election has been held on this vacant seat.
• BJP leader Krishan Lal Pawar resigned from Rajya Sabha after winning the Haryana assembly elections. Now a by-election will be held on this vacant seat in Haryana. After the assembly elections, TDP in Andhra Pradesh and BJP in Odisha will have an upper hand in the Rajya Sabha by-election.