India
oi-Ashish Rana
The Opposition suffered notable setbacks in the biennial Rajya Sabha elections held on Monday, with NDA-backed candidates securing an advantage in Bihar and Odisha amid cross-voting and the absence of some legislators. Voting took place for 11 of the 37 seats across 10 states, while several other candidates were elected unopposed.
The NDA secured key Rajya Sabha victories in Bihar and Odisha during Monday’s elections, while contests concluded in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, and several prominent leaders were elected unopposed.
NDA Sweeps Bihar, Nitish Kumar Among Key Winners
Bihar emerged as a major victory ground for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which swept all five Rajya Sabha seats that went to polls in the state. Among the most prominent winners was Bihar’s longest-serving chief minister Nitish Kumar, who secured a seat in the Upper House.
Bihar winners:
- Nitish Kumar (JD(U))
- Nitin Nabin (BJP)
- Ram Nath Thakur (JD(U))
- Shivesh Kumar (BJP)
- Upendra Kushwaha (RLM)
The outcome underlined the NDA’s firm hold in the state during this round of Rajya Sabha elections.
Odisha Sees Opposition Losses Amid Cross-Voting
In Odisha too, the Opposition failed to hold its ground as NDA-backed candidates benefited from cross-voting. The results saw BJP leaders Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar emerge victorious, alongside a BJD nominee and an Independent candidate.
Odisha winners:
- Manmohan Samal (BJP)
- Sujeet Kumar (BJP)
- Santrupt Misra (BJD)
- Dilip Ray (Independent)
The Odisha outcome stood out as one of the key contests where shifting loyalties and absenteeism altered the expected equation.
Haryana, Himachal And Other Contests Draw Attention
In Haryana, the two seats that went to polls were won by candidates from the BJP and Congress, while Himachal Pradesh also saw a Congress victory in a closely watched contest.
Haryana winners:
- Sanjay Bhatia (BJP)
- Karamvir Singh Boudh (Congress)
Himachal Pradesh winner:
The biennial Rajya Sabha elections were held on Monday to fill 37 seats across 10 states, with Bihar, Odisha and Haryana among the most closely watched battlegrounds.
Several High-Profile Leaders Elected Unopposed Across States
A large number of candidates were elected to the Upper House without a contest in several states, including several prominent political and public figures.
West Bengal (elected unopposed):
- Babul Supriyo (TMC)
- Rajeev Kumar (TMC)
- Menaka Guruswamy (TMC)
- Koel Mallick (TMC)
- Rahul Sinha (BJP)
Notably, Menaka Guruswamy has become India’s first openly queer member of parliament.
Maharashtra (elected unopposed):
- Six candidates from the ruling Mahayuti alliance
- Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP)
Telangana (elected unopposed):
- Abhishek Singhvi (Congress)
- Vem Narender Reddy (Congress)
Tamil Nadu (elected unopposed):
- M Thambidurai (AIADMK)
- Anbumani Ramadoss (PMK)
- Tiruchi Siva (DMK)
- J Constantine Ravindran (DMK)
- M Christopher Tilak (Congress)
- LK Sudeesh (DMDK)
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