The by-election process for a vacant Rajya Sabha seat from Odisha has officially started. The Election Commission of India issued a notification to kick off the process. Nominations for the seat began on June 1.
The deadline for submitting nomination papers is June 8, with scrutiny scheduled for June 9. Candidates have until June 11 to withdraw their nominations. If more than one candidate remains after the withdrawal deadline, polling will be held on June 18.
The Returning Officer for the by-election is Sahu, with an Assembly Secretariat official serving as the Assistant Returning Officer. The election process was initiated due to the vacancy in the Odisha Rajya Sabha seat. Former BJD member Debashish Samantaray’s resignation led to the by-election.
Samantaray, who resigned on May 25, would have completed his term in April 2030. His resignation reduced the BJD’s strength in the Upper House to five members. Following his resignation, Samantaray joined the BJP on May 26. He had previously served as a three-time MLA in the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
