Several prominent political leaders, including Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) chief Sharad Pawar and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha on Monday. In total, 26 candidates secured seats in the Upper House without facing a contest as the deadline for withdrawal of nominations concluded.
However, elections will still take place on March 16 for 11 Rajya Sabha seats across Bihar, Odisha, and Haryana, where multiple candidates remain in the race.
Uncontested Elections Across Several States
A large number of candidates were elected unopposed in different states after no rival nominations remained. In Maharashtra, all seven candidates—including six from the ruling Mahayuti alliance and one from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi—were declared elected without a contest.
Among those elected from Maharashtra are Sharad Pawar, Ramdas Athawale, BJP leader Vinod Tawde, Ramrao Wadkute, Maya Ivnate, Shiv Sena’s Jyoti Waghmare, and Parth Pawar, son of former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.
Similarly, in Tamil Nadu, all six candidates were elected unopposed. These include AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai, PMK’s Anbumani Ramadoss, DMK leaders Tiruchi Siva and J. Constantine Ravindran, Congress candidate M. Christopher Tilak, and DMDK treasurer L.K. Sudeesh.
In Telangana, Congress leaders Abhishek Singhvi and Vem Narender Reddy secured Rajya Sabha seats without opposition.
West Bengal and Assam Also See Unopposed Winners
In West Bengal, five candidates were elected unopposed. The ruling Trinamool Congress sent Babul Supriyo, former state police chief Rajeev Kumar, senior Supreme Court advocate Menaka Guruswamy, and actor Koel Mallick to the Upper House. The BJP’s Rahul Sinha, former state party president, also secured a seat.
Meanwhile, in Assam, three candidates of the ruling NDA alliance—Jogen Mohan, Terash Gowala, and UPPL chief Pramod Boro—were elected without facing any opposition.
Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh Results
In Chhattisgarh, BJP candidate Laxmi Verma and Congress leader Phulo Devi Netam were elected unopposed as only two candidates filed nominations for two available seats.
In Himachal Pradesh, Congress candidate Anurag Sharma, considered close to Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, was also elected to the Rajya Sabha without contest.
Contest Expected in Bihar, Odisha, and Haryana
Despite several uncontested victories, 11 seats will witness elections on March 16. These include five seats in Bihar, four in Odisha, and two in Haryana.
In Bihar, the contest is expected to be intense. Among the key candidates are Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur, RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha, BJP leader Shivesh Kumar, and RJD MP Amarendra Dhari Singh, who has been renominated.
Notably, Bihar’s long-serving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also announced his decision to enter the Rajya Sabha, marking the end of his nearly two-decade tenure as the state’s chief minister.
In Odisha, competition has intensified with candidates from both the ruling BJP and the opposition BJD in the fray. Independent candidate Dilip Ray, backed by the BJP, has also entered the race, raising the possibility of cross-voting.
Similarly, in Haryana, a close contest is expected between BJP candidate Sanjay Bhatia, Congress nominee Karamvir Singh Boudh, and independent candidate Satish Nandal.
BJP Likely to Strengthen Position in Rajya Sabha
These Rajya Sabha elections are being held to fill 37 seats across 10 states, including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Haryana, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Himachal Pradesh.
Political observers believe that once the elections conclude, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to increase its strength in the Rajya Sabha, further consolidating its position in the Upper House of Parliament.
