Bypoll to the Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal vacated by Dinesh Trivedi earlier this year will be held on August 9, the Election Commission said on Friday. Then a Trinamool Congress member, Trivedi had announced his resignation from Rajya Sabha on February 12, saying he feels suffocated in the House as he is unable to do anything for the violence going on in West Bengal. He is now with the BJP Trivedi's term was to end in April, 2026.

The Commission said the notification for the by-poll would be issued on July 22 and poll would be held on August 9. The counting for RS polls is held on the same day after polling ends. The Commission reiterated that Covid appropriate behaviour should be following during the by-poll.

In May this year, the EC had deferred certain proposed by-polls to Lok Sabha and assembly seats in view of the prevailing coronavirus situation in the country. Also in May, it had deferred legislative council polls in a total of nine seats in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana due to the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

(Edited by : Aditi Gautam)