New Delhi. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has released the calendar for the biennial polls that will fill 28 Legislative Council seats in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka. The roster includes seats reserved for graduates and teachers. All 28 constituencies will go to the polls on 23 October 2026, and the ballot boxes will be opened for counting on 27 October 2026.
According to the timetable, the official election notification will be published on 29 September 2026. Prospective candidates may submit their nomination papers up to 6 October 2026. Polling stations will operate from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the voting day.
The contests are triggered by the expiry of current members' terms. In Bihar, eight seats will become vacant in November; Karnataka will see four seats vacated the same month. Maharashtra has five seats and Uttar Pradesh eleven seats that will be open in December.
Maharashtra – Five Seats
The Maharashtra polls will cover the Aurangabad Graduates, Pune Graduates, Nagpur Graduates, Amravati Teachers and Pune Teachers constituencies.
Karnataka – Four Seats
Karnataka’s four contests are for the South‑East Graduates, West Graduates, North‑East Teachers and Bengaluru Teachers seats.
Uttar Pradesh – Eleven Seats
In Uttar Pradesh, voters will decide the representatives for Lucknow Graduates, Varanasi Graduates, Agra Graduates, Meerut Graduates, Allahabad‑Jhansi Graduates, Lucknow Teachers, Varanasi Teachers, Agra Teachers, Meerut Teachers, Bareilly‑Moradabad Teachers and Gorakhpur‑Faizabad Teachers.
Bihar – Eight Seats
Bihar’s eight constituencies slated for polling are Patna Graduates, Darbhanga Graduates, Tirhut Graduates, Kosi Graduates, Patna Teachers, Darbhanga Teachers, Tirhut Teachers and Saran Teachers.
With the schedule now public, the Model Code of Conduct has been activated for all the affected constituencies.
