Reported by Bit Irom
Imphal: Biennial elections for 24 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states, including the lone seat from Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, are scheduled to be held on June 18, 2026. The elections are being conducted in view of the retirement of sitting members whose terms are set to end between June and July.
In this context, Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, who also serves as a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), chaired a meeting on Saturday at his secretariat. He held discussions with National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MLAs, both in person and virtually, regarding the nomination of BJP Manipur state president A. Sharda Devi as the NDA candidate for the state’s lone Rajya Sabha seat.
In a post on his Facebook account, Khemchand Singh stated that the unanimous support for her candidature reflects the alliance’s commitment to unity, democratic values and women’s empowerment through meaningful participation in public life.
Manipur has one Rajya Sabha seat, currently held by Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba (BJP), whose term will expire on June 21, 2026. The BJP has formally fielded A. Sharda Devi, who is presently the party’s state president in Manipur, as its nominee for the upcoming election.
Polling will take place in the Manipur Legislative Assembly, with counting of votes and declaration of results scheduled on the same day.
Election schedule overview:
- Nomination deadline: June 8, 2026 (until 3:00 PM)
- Scrutiny of nominations: June 9, 2026
- Last date for withdrawal of candidature: June 11, 2026
- Polling hours: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Counting of votes: 5:00 PM on the same day
The Election Commission is conducting simultaneous biennial polls for multiple states, including 4 seats each in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Karnataka; 3 seats each in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan; 2 seats in Jharkhand; and one seat each in Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.