Congress Announces 6 Candidates for Rajya Sabha Elections 2026

The Congress party has officially revealed the names of six leaders who will contest the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from different states. The announcement was cleared by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and formally communicated by AICC general secretary KC Venugopal.

The party has fielded two candidates from Telangana and one each from Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Telangana: Singhvi Likely to Return

From Telangana, senior leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi has been renominated. He is expected to retain his seat in the Upper House as the Congress currently holds strong numbers in the state Assembly.

The second candidate from Telangana is former MLA Vem Narender Reddy, who is known to be close to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

After his nomination, Narender Reddy thanked top party leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, expressing gratitude for the trust placed in him.

Two Rajya Sabha seats from Telangana are becoming vacant as current members complete their terms in April.

Candidates from Other States

From Chhattisgarh, the party has chosen Phulo Devi Netam. Haryana will see Karamvir Singh Boudh as the Congress nominee.

In Himachal Pradesh, the candidate is Anurag Sharma, while M Christopher Tilak has been named from Tamil Nadu.

Rajya Sabha Elections on March 16

The Election Commission of India has scheduled biennial Rajya Sabha elections for March 16. A total of 37 seats across 10 states will go to polls as sitting members retire this year.

Maharashtra will see the highest number of seats (seven) going to election. Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Bihar will each have six seats falling vacant. Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Haryana will have two seats each, while Himachal Pradesh will have one seat up for election.

Political observers believe Congress may improve its numbers in Telangana, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, where it holds favourable positions.

With nominations now announced, all eyes are on March 16 as parties gear up for the crucial Upper House elections.