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Core Purpose

The Election Commission designates Returning Officers and appoints Assistant Returning Officers for the biennial election to the Council of States in various states.

Detailed Summary

This notification, O.N. 03(E) dated 26th February, 2026, issued by the Election Commission of India, designates Returning Officers and appoints Assistant Returning Officers for the biennial election to the Council of States. This action is taken in pursuance of Section 21 and in exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 22 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951), and in consultation with the respective State Governments. The biennial election is to be held in various states as per a notification of the President of India, published in the Gazette of India on 26th February, 2026. For Maharashtra, Dr. Vilas G. Athawale, Secretary, Maharashtra Legislature Secretariat, is designated as Returning Officer, assisted by Shri. Subhash S. Nalawade, Joint Secretary cum OSD, and Smt. Seema Sachin Tambe, Under Secretary. For Odisha, Shri Satyabrata Rout, Secretary, Odisha Legislative Assembly, is the Returning Officer, assisted by Shri Bidyadhar Majhi, Joint Secretary. For Tamil Nadu, Tmt. R. Santhi, Additional Secretary, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Secretariat, is the Returning Officer, assisted by Tmt. P. Thenmozhi, Joint Secretary. For West Bengal, Shri Soumendra Nath Das, Principal Secretary, West Bengal Legislative Assembly, is the Returning Officer, assisted by Shri Dipankar Mandal, Deputy Secretary. For Assam, Shri Rajib Bhattacharyya, Additional Secretary, Assam Legislative Assembly Secretariat, is the Returning Officer, assisted by Shri Prodip Handique, OSD (Joint Secretary). For Bihar, Smt. Khyati Singh, Joint Secretary-cum-Secretary-in-Charge, Bihar Legislative Assembly, is the Returning Officer, assisted by Sh. Sudhir Kumar Singh, Deputy Secretary. For Chhattisgarh, Shri Manish Sharma, Director, Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, is the Returning Officer, assisted by Shri Dinesh Trivedi, Deputy Secretary. For Haryana, Sh. Pankaj Agarwal, IAS, Principal Secretary to the Government, Haryana, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Department, is the Returning Officer, assisted by Sh. Gaurav Goyal, Deputy Secretary, Haryana Vidhan Sabha. For Himachal Pradesh, Shri Yash Paul Sharma, Secretary, Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, is the Returning Officer, assisted by Sh. Jitender Singh Kanwar, Deputy Secretary (Legislation). For Telangana, Sri Ch. Upendra Reddy, Additional Secretary, Telangana State Legislature, is the Returning Officer, assisted by Sri A. Sudhakar, Deputy Secretary.

Full Text

REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99 The Gazette of India CG-DL-E-26022026-270493 EXTRAORDINARY PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (iii) PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 03] NEW DELHI, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2026/PHALGUNA 7, 1947 ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 26th February, 2026 O.N. 03(E).— In pursuance of Section 21, and in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 22, of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951), the Election Commission, in consultation with the Government of each of the States, specified in the column (1) of the TABLE below, hereby— (i) designates the officer, specified in the corresponding entry in column (2) of the said TABLE to be the Returning Officer; and (ii) appoints the officer(s), specified in the corresponding entry in column (3) of the said TABLE, to be the Assistant Returning Officer(s) to assist the Returning Officer in the performance of his/her functions; in respect of the biennial election to the Council of States, to be held in that State in pursuance of the notification of the President of India, published in the Gazette of India on 26th February, 2026 :— TABLE +------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+ | States | Returning Officer | Assistant Returning Officer | +============+=============================================================+=============================================================+ | (1) | (2) | (3) | +------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Maharashtra| Dr. Vilas G. Athawale, Secretary, | 1. Shri. Subhash S. Nalawade, Joint Secretary | | | Maharashtra Legislature Secretariat | cum OSD, Maharashtra Legislature Secretariat | | | | 2. Smt. Seema Sachin Tambe, Under Secretary, | | | | Maharashtra Legislature Secretariat | +------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Odisha | Shri Satyabrata Rout, Secretary, Odisha | Shri Bidyadhar Majhi, Joint Secretary, Odisha | | | Legislative Assembly | Legislative Assembly | +------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Tamil Nadu | Tmt. R. Santhi, Additional Secretary, Tamil | Tmt. P. Thenmozhi, Joint Secretary, Tamil Nadu | | | Nadu Legislative Assembly Secretariat | Legislative Assembly Secretariat | +------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+ | West Bengal| Shri Soumendra Nath Das, Principal | Shri Dipankar Mandal, Deputy Secretary, West | | | Secretary, West Bengal Legislative Assembly | Bengal Legislative Assembly | +------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Assam | Shri Rajib Bhattacharyya, Additional | Shri Prodip Handique, OSD (Joint Secretary), | | | Secretary, Assam Legislative Assembly | Assam Legislative Assembly Secretariat | | | Secretariat | | +------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Bihar | Smt. Khyati Singh, Joint Secretary-cum- | Sh. Sudhir Kumar Singh, Deputy Secretary, Bihar | | | Secretary-in-Charge, Bihar Legislative | Legislative Assembly | | | Assembly | | +------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Chhattisgarh| Shri Manish Sharma, Director, Chhattisgarh | Shri Dinesh Trivedi, Deputy Secretary, | | | Legislative Assembly | Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly | +------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Haryana | Sh. Pankaj Agarwal, IAS, Principal Secretary | Sh. Gaurav Goyal, Deputy Secretary, Haryana | | | to the Government, Haryana, Agriculture & | Vidhan Sabha | | | Farmers Welfare Department | | +------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Himachal | Shri Yash Paul Sharma, Secretary, Himachal | Sh. Jitender Singh Kanwar, Deputy Secretary | | Pradesh | Pradesh Vidhan Sabha | (Legislation), Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha | +------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+ | Telangana | Sri Ch. Upendra Reddy, Additional Secretary, | Sri A. Sudhakar, Deputy Secretary, Telangana State | | | Telangana State Legislature | Legislature | +------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+ [F. No. 318/CS-Multi/2026(2)] By Order, SUMAN KUMAR DAS, Secy. Published by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi–110064 and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi–110054.

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