Rajya Sabha contests in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Rajasthan concluded without a vote on Thursday, as candidates were elected unopposed after the withdrawal deadline.
Maharashtra Byelection
In Maharashtra, NCP candidate Rajendra Jain was elected in the bypoll to the seat vacated by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar. The election was a walkover after no other candidate remained in the fray.
Madhya Pradesh: BJP Sweeps Three Seats
In Madhya Pradesh, BJP candidates Tarun Chugh, Rajneesh Agarwal, and Mahesh Kewat were declared elected after the 3 PM withdrawal deadline. Congress nominee Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination was rejected over alleged concealment of details related to a Telangana case, and her plea for restoration was not granted. The rejection sparked controversy, with Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar questioning the Election Commission's silence. “When EC has special powers to intervene and decide such matters, why was no decision taken on Congress’s objection? Why is there activism in BJP’s matters and silence in Congress’s case?” he said, calling it a test of the “credibility of democratic and electoral process itself.” The row marked one of MP’s most turbulent Rajya Sabha battles in years, after BJP’s surprise decision to field Kewat for a third seat despite lacking clear numbers, raising fears of cross-voting and poaching in the Congress camp.
Karnataka: Congress and BJP Win Unopposed
In Karnataka, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress nominees Mansoor Ali Khan and Pawan Khera, and BJP's M Nagaraja were declared elected unopposed. The election was a foregone conclusion after an independent candidate was disqualified during scrutiny. Kharge's victory marks his return to the Rajya Sabha from the state.
Rajasthan: Status Quo Maintained
Rajasthan’s biennial election also turned into a walkover. BJP’s Satish Poonia and Alka Gurjar, along with Congress nominee Neeraj Dangi, were elected unopposed. The outcome preserves the status quo in the state’s Rajya Sabha representation, with BJP and Congress holding five seats each.
