New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha byelection in Madhya Pradesh to fill the upper house seat left vacant by the resignation of former Union Minister L. Murugan is scheduled for November 12, according to an announcement made by the Election Commission of India on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
According to the election schedule released by the panel, the official notification for the bypoll will be issued on October 26, 2026. Candidates will have until November 2, 2026, to submit their nominations, and the scrutiny of these nomination papers is slated to take place on November 3, 2026.
Contesting candidates will be permitted to withdraw their nominations through November 5. Polling will then be conducted on November 12, with the counting of votes scheduled to begin immediately after voting concludes at 5 p.m. on the same day. The entire electoral process is set to reach completion by November 16, 2026.
To maintain the integrity of the voting process, the Election Commission has specified that voters must use only pre-designated integrated violet sketch pens supplied directly by the Returning Officer when marking their preferences on the ballot papers.
Additionally, the electoral authority announced that adequate monitoring protocols will be enforced. This includes the deployment of designated observers to oversee proceedings closely and guarantee that the bypoll is conducted in a free and fair manner.