New Delhi. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has unveiled the calendar for the biennial elections to 28 seats in the Legislative Councils of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka. The roster includes special constituencies for graduates and teachers. Polling across every constituency is slated for 23 October 2026, while the counting of ballots will occur on 27 October 2026.
According to the schedule, the formal election notification will be published on 29 September, and aspirants may submit their nomination papers up to 6 October. Voting hours are set from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the election day.
The exercise is triggered by the expiry of the current members’ terms. Bihar will see eight seats become vacant in November, Karnataka four, Maharashtra five, and Uttar Pradesh eleven seats will be up for election in December.
Maharashtra – Five Seats
The state will hold polls for the following graduate and teacher constituencies: Aurangabad Graduates, Pune Graduates, Nagpur Graduates, Amravati Teachers, and Pune Teachers.
Karnataka – Four Seats
Four constituencies will go to the ballot: South‑East Graduates, West Graduates, North‑East Teachers, and Bengaluru Teachers.
Uttar Pradesh – Eleven Seats
In Uttar Pradesh, voters will decide 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 seats cover Patna Graduates, Darbhanga Graduates, Tirhut Graduates, Kosi Graduates, Patna Teachers, Darbhanga Teachers, Tirhut Teachers, and Saran Teachers.
With the timetable now public, the Model Code of Conduct has been activated for all the affected constituencies.
