Voting will be held on March 16 for 11 Upper House seats — five in Bihar, four in Odisha, and two in Haryana.
A total of 40 candidates had initially filed nominations for 37 seats across 10 states. After withdrawals, 14 candidates remain in the fray for the 11 seats where contests are scheduled.
Bihar, Odisha and Haryana set for contests
In Bihar, the contest has drawn attention after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced his decision to enter the Rajya Sabha, ending his two-decade tenure as the state’s longest-serving CM. BJP president Nitin Nabin is also expected to secure a seat.
Other NDA nominees from Bihar include Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur, seeking a third consecutive term, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha president Upendra Kushwaha, aiming for a second term. BJP state general secretary Shivesh Kumar is making his parliamentary debut.
The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal has renominated sitting MP Amarendra Dhari Singh. With the Mahagathbandhan’s numbers falling short, it is hoping for support from smaller parties to bridge a six-vote deficit. According to the Bihar Assembly secretariat, none of the six candidates withdrew nominations, making voting necessary in the state for the first time in over a decade.
Odisha will also see a contest for one seat. Candidates in the fray include state BJP president Manmohan Samal and sitting MP Sujeet Kumar, while the opposition Biju Janata Dal has fielded Santrupt Misra and noted urologist Datteswar Hota. Former Union minister Dilip Ray has filed as an Independent backed by the BJP, raising the possibility of cross-voting.
In Haryana, an Independent candidate, Satish Nandal, has entered the race alongside BJP nominee Sanjay Bhatia and the Congress’ Karamvir Singh Boudh. The Indian National Congress has 37 MLAs in the Assembly and needs 31 first-preference votes to secure a seat.
BJP appoints observers
BJP president Nitin Nabin has appointed central observers for the Rajya Sabha polls in the three states. Union Minister Harsh Malhotra and Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma will oversee the Bihar election.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi has been appointed observer for Haryana, while Maharashtra Minister Chandrasekhar Bawankule will supervise the Odisha polls.
