A major political development unfolded on Thursday as 24 candidates, including Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh, were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha following scrutiny of nominations for the Upper House elections.
Officials confirmed that elections were originally scheduled for 27 seats, but results for 24 were declared after returning officers handed over certificates to candidates who faced no contest.
NDA strengthens position, Congress also gains marginally
Out of the 24 uncontested seats, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 19, while the Congress won five. The outcome has slightly strengthened both major blocs in the Upper House, though the NDA continues to maintain a dominant position.
Rajya Sabha seat distribution (state-wise)
| State | NDA Seats | INDIA Bloc Seats | Elected Members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | 4 | 0 | Bashyam Ramakrishna (TDP), Chintakayala Vijay (TDP), Sana Satish Babu (TDP), Lingamaneni Ramesh (Jana Sena) |
| Gujarat | 4 | 0 | Rajubhai Shukla, Mansinh Parmar, Mukeshbhai Rathwa, Jitendra Kanjariya (BJP) |
| Karnataka | 1 | 3 | Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress), Mansoor Ali Khan (Congress), Pawan Khera (Congress), M Nagaraja (BJP) |
| Madhya Pradesh | 3 | 0 | Tarun Chugh, Rajneesh Agarwal, Mahesh Kewat (BJP) |
| Rajasthan | 2 | 1 | Satish Poonia (BJP), Alka Gurjar (BJP), Neeraj Dangi (Congress) |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 1 | 0 | Tai Tagak (BJP) |
| Meghalaya | 1 | 0 | James K Sangma (NPP) |
| Manipur | 1 | 0 | Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi (BJP) |
| Tamil Nadu | 0 | 1 | Praveen Chakravarthy (Congress) |
| Maharashtra | 1 | 0 | Rajendra Jain (NCP) |
| Odisha | 1 | 0 | Debashish Samantaray (BJP) |
Political impact in numbers
The NDA’s tally in the Rajya Sabha has increased by three seats, taking advantage of its already strong base of 16 seats in the current cycle. The Congress, meanwhile, has added one seat, taking its total gain to five uncontested victories.
Regional shifts and party reversals
The results also reflect notable political shifts in some states. In Odisha, former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) lost a seat, while the BJP secured an additional position after Debashish Samantaray’s unopposed election following his switch to the saffron party.
Similarly, in Andhra Pradesh, the NDA swept all four seats, strengthening its foothold in the state.
Attention shifts to Jharkhand and Mizoram
With the uncontested phase concluded, focus now moves to upcoming contests in Jharkhand and Mizoram.
In Jharkhand, two Rajya Sabha seats will be contested among three candidates: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Baidyanath Ram, Congress nominee Pranav Jha, and Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani.
The INDIA bloc holds 56 MLAs in the state, while the NDA has 24, and the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) holds one seat. Nathwani will require at least three cross-votes to secure victory.
In Mizoram, one seat will go to polls between Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) spokesperson K Laltluangkima and Mizo National Front (MNF) leader Zothansangi Hmar. The ZPM holds a clear numerical advantage in the 40-member Assembly.
Polling in both states is scheduled for June 18, setting the stage for the final round of Rajya Sabha elections.
