Election Commission schedules 12 November bypoll for Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha seat vacated by L Murugan

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Thursday, 22 October 2026, that a bypoll to a Rajya Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh will be held on 12 November, according to The Hindustan Times and The Indian Express. The seat was vacated by L Murugan, who resigned as Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs and as a Rajya Sabha member.

The schedule

According to both outlets, the timetable is:

• 26 October: notification issued.
• 2 November: last date for filing nominations (The Indian Express reports that nominations can be filed from 26 October).
• 3 November: scrutiny of nominations.
• 5 November: last date for withdrawal of candidature.
• 12 November: voting from 9 am to 4 pm; counting of votes at 5 pm the same day.

The Hindustan Times reports that the process must be completed before 16 November.

Background

Mr Murugan resigned from the Council of Ministers and his Rajya Sabha membership on 13 October, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he posted on X. The Hindustan Times reports that the seat fell vacant on 14 October. His term was due to run until 2 April 2030. He had been a Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh since September 2021 and was re-elected in April 2024, according to The Hindustan Times.

In the letter, Mr Murugan asked to be relieved so that he could “dedicate myself full-time to strengthening the party in Tamil Nadu,” as quoted by The Indian Express. The Hindustan Times reports that he referred to the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Members of the Rajya Sabha are chosen by the elected members of state Legislative Assemblies. Candidates for the Madhya Pradesh seat had not been announced in the sources reviewed.

What happens next

The ECI notification is due on 26 October, after which parties can name candidates and file nominations until 2 November.