The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Monday the official schedule for by-elections to three Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal. These bypolls were necessitated after the resignation of incumbent members Sushmitha Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, and Prakash Chik Bairak. All three leaders resigned as Members of Parliament in the Upper House and parted ways with the Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, amid an internal collapse following the party's recent Assembly election defeat.
According to the poll panel, Dev’s original tenure was scheduled to end on April 2, 2030, while the terms for both Ray and Bairak were set to expire on August 18, 2029. As per the newly released timeline, the formal notification for the by-elections will be issued on July 7, with July 14 set as the final deadline for filing nominations. The scrutiny of these nomination papers will take place the following day on July 15, and the last date for candidates to withdraw their names is July 17.
Voting is scheduled to take place on July 24 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and the official results will be declared later that same evening. The poll body noted that the entire election process must be officially completed by July 27.
To maintain strict protocol, the ECI directed that voters must only use the integrated violet colour sketch pens of pre-fixed specifications provided by the Returning Officer to mark their preferences on the ballot papers, warning that no other writing instrument will be permitted under any circumstances. Additionally, the commission confirmed that observers will be appointed to closely monitor the voting process and guarantee a free and fair election.
Addressing the nature of the voting system, the ECI clarified that vacancies for by-elections across all legislative houses, including the Rajya Sabha, are treated as distinct vacancies. This means that separate notifications are issued and separate polls are conducted for each vacancy, even when they share a common schedule. The commission emphasized that this approach strictly conforms with Sections 147 to 151 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, aligns with its long-standing past practices, and stands backed by a Delhi High Court ruling delivered on January 20, 2009.
