Election Commission notifies biennial Rajya Sabha polls for 11 seats and a West Bengal bypoll

Key facts

• The Election Commission issued a notification for biennial elections to 11 Rajya Sabha seats — ten in Uttar Pradesh and one in Uttarakhand.
• Ten outgoing members include BJP leaders and Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and B L Verma, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, BSP's Ramji, and six others; Naresh Bansal from Uttarakhand is also completing his term on 25th November.
• The notification also covers a bypoll for one vacant Rajya Sabha seat in West Bengal, left vacant by the resignation of TMC MP Rukmini Mallik.
• Nominations began from 29th September and polling will be held on 16th October.