Bhubaneswar, May 27: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the schedule for the Rajya Sabha bye-election in Odisha to fill the vacancy created following the resignation of former member Debashish Samantaray.

The seat fell vacant after Samantaray resigned from the Upper House on May 25, ahead of the completion of his tenure, which was scheduled to continue till April 3, 2030.

According to the notification issued by the Election Commission, the bye-election process will commence with the issue of the official notification on June 1, 2026. The last date for filing nominations has been fixed as June 8, while scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on June 9.

Candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations till June 11. Polling for the Rajya Sabha seat will be conducted on June 18 between 9 am and 4 pm, while counting of votes will begin at 5 pm on the same day. The entire election process is expected to be completed by June 20.

The Election Commission has also issued specific instructions regarding the voting procedure. It stated that only the integrated violet-colour sketch pen supplied by the Returning Officer will be permitted for marking preferences on the ballot paper. Use of any other pen will not be allowed.

The Commission further said that adequate arrangements and close monitoring mechanisms would be put in place to ensure the free, fair, and smooth conduct of the bye-election in Odisha.

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