Rajya Sabha byelection: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Dec 3: The nomination process for the December 20 byelections to six Rajya Sabha seats, including one from Odisha, commenced on Tuesday following the issuance of a formal notification by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The ECI had previously announced the schedule for the byelections, which will fill six vacant Rajya Sabha seats. While the nomination process opened on Tuesday, candidates have until December 10 to submit their nomination papers. The scrutiny of these nominations will take place on December 11, and the final date for withdrawal of candidatures is set for December 13. Voting will occur on December 20, from 9 am to 4 pm, with the counting of votes scheduled for 5 pm on the same day.
The Odisha seat became vacant after Sujeet Kumar resigned from the Rajya Sabha and joined the BJP on September 6, 2024, following his expulsion from the BJD for “anti-party” activities. Elected on April 3, 2020, his term was set to end on April 2, 2026. This vacancy is likely to be filled by the BJP, which holds a numerical advantage with 78 MLAs in Odisha’s 147-member Vidhan Sabha.
