Congress and BJP Finalize Rajya Sabha Candidates

With the June 18 Rajya Sabha elections looming, both Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have unveiled their rosters for the 24 seats up for grabs across ten states. The nominations mark a critical push for legislative influence in the Upper House as the June 8 deadline for filings rapidly approaches.

Editorial·June 5, 2026·reads: 2,402

Congress and BJP Finalize Rajya Sabha Candidates

Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge leads his party's ticket from Karnataka, joined by Mansoor Ali Khan and Pawan Khera. The party’s strategy extends across several states, naming Meenakshi Natarajan for Madhya Pradesh, Neeraj Dangi for Rajasthan, Praveen Chakravarty for Tamil Nadu, and Pranav Jha for Jharkhand.

The BJP’s Central Election Committee finalized its own list of 11 candidates to bolster its parliamentary presence. The roster features notable figures including Tai Tagak in Arunachal Pradesh and Tarun Chugh in Madhya Pradesh. These biennial contests, which the Election Commission initiated on June 3, remain highly competitive as major political players vie for representation in states like Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.