The Election Commission has announced polling on October 16 for 11 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, along with a by-election for one seat in West Bengal. The notification for the polls will be issued on September 29.

Of the 11 biennial seats, 10 are in Uttar Pradesh and one is in Uttarakhand. In Uttar Pradesh, the terms of 10 sitting members are ending. In Uttarakhand, the poll follows the completion of sitting member Naresh Bansal’s term.

The West Bengal seat will be filled through a by-election after the resignation of Trinamool Congress MP Rukmini Mallik.

Nominations can be filed until October 6. Scrutiny of nominations will be held on October 7, and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 9. Polling will run from 9 am to 4 pm on October 16, with counting of votes from 5 pm the same day.

The Commission also announced elections for 28 Legislative Council seats in Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh on October 23, covering Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies. Rajya Sabha members are elected by state legislators, so the UP contest will test the ruling alliance’s strength in the assembly.