The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for elections to the Teachers’ and Graduates’ constituencies of the Legislative Councils in Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Polling for the concerned seats will be held on October 23, 2026, while counting of votes will take place on October 27, 2026. The Model Code of Conduct has come into effect in the concerned constituencies following the announcement of the election schedule.
According to the schedule, notifications for the Legislative Council elections in the four states will be issued on September 29, 2026. The nomination process will begin thereafter, with October 6, 2026 set as the last date for filing nominations.
The subsequent stages of the election process will include scrutiny of nomination papers and withdrawal of candidature.
In case of a contested election, polling will be conducted on October 23 from 8 am to 4 pm. Counting of votes will be held on October 27, after which the results will be declared.
Under the election schedule, different numbers of Legislative Council seats in Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are due to fall vacant.
In Bihar, eight Legislative Council seats will fall vacant on November 16, 2026. In Karnataka, the terms of four seats will expire on November 11. Maharashtra has five seats and Uttar Pradesh has 11 seats due to fall vacant on December 6, 2026.
The election process to fill these seats is being conducted according to the prescribed schedule.
The Legislative Council is the upper house of the state legislature in states where it exists. Its members are not elected through a single method. The Constitution provides for elections through different electoral categories.
In Teachers’ constituencies, eligible teachers vote, while Graduates’ constituencies comprise registered graduate voters who meet the prescribed educational and other eligibility requirements.
As a result, the electoral rolls and election procedures for these constituencies differ from those for general Assembly elections. The Election Commission makes separate arrangements and issues guidelines for eligible voters in the concerned constituencies.
With the announcement of the election schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect in the concerned Legislative Council constituencies of Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
The code sets out rules governing the conduct of political parties and candidates during the election process. Candidates and political organisations will be required to conduct campaigning and other election-related activities in accordance with the rules prescribed by the Election Commission.
The process from nominations through polling and counting will proceed according to the announced schedule.
The notification for the elections will be issued on September 29, 2026, while October 6, 2026 is the last date for filing nominations. Polling will take place on October 23, 2026, from 8 am to 4 pm, and counting of votes will be conducted on October 27, 2026. The Model Code of Conduct is effective immediately in the concerned constituencies.
