Voting Commences for 28 Legislative Council Seats in Four States
Polling has started for the biennial elections to the Legislative Councils in Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh.
Voting began at 8 AM on October 23 for 28 Legislative Council seats.
Vacancies arose due to the expiration of terms for sitting members in each state.
The counting of votes is scheduled for October 27, with the election process concluding by October 31.
Polling for the biennial elections to the Legislative Councils commenced at 8 AM on October 23, 2026, across four Indian states: Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh. This election cycle involves 28 seats, with voting taking place in both Graduates' and Teachers' constituencies.
The Election Commission of India initiated these elections following the conclusion of terms for current members in the respective constituencies. Specifically, Bihar has eight members, Karnataka four, Maharashtra five, and Uttar Pradesh eleven whose terms are set to expire, leading to the current vacancies.
In Bihar, polling is being conducted in four Graduates' constituencies—Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut, and Kosi—and four Teachers' constituencies—Patna, Darbhanga, Tirhut, and Saran. The terms for the members in these constituencies will end on November 16. Meanwhile, Karnataka's elections include two Graduates' constituencies—Karnataka South-East and Karnataka West—and two Teachers' constituencies—Karnataka North-East and Bangalore, with terms expiring on November 11.
Maharashtra's elections cover three Graduates' constituencies—Aurangabad Division, Pune Division, and Nagpur Division—and two Teachers' constituencies—Amravati Division and Pune Division. The terms for these members will conclude on December 6, 2026. In Uttar Pradesh, polling is taking place in five Graduates' constituencies and six Teachers' constituencies, with terms also expiring on December 6.
Polling across all four states will continue until 4 PM on the same day. The counting of votes is set for October 27, and the entire election process is expected to be finalized by October 31, 2026.
