26 elected unopposed in Rajya Sabha polls; Bihar, Odisha, Haryana to face tight contests

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Mar 16, 2026: 26 candidates have already been elected unopposed in the Rajya Sabha elections across seven states, with prominent leaders such as Sharad Pawar, Ramdas Athawale, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, M. Thambi Durai, Vinod Tawde and Babul Supriyo among them.

However, contests remain unresolved in Bihar, Odisha and Haryana. The polling is set to take place between 9 am and 4 pm, followed by the counting of votes at 5 pm the same day.

In Bihar, four candidates — Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Ramnath Thakur from the JD(U), along with the BJP’s Nitin Nabin and Shivam Kumar — are expected to win comfortably. The fifth seat, however, has turned into a direct contest between NDA nominee Upendra Kushwaha and Grand Alliance candidate AD Singh, NDTV reported.

The opposition bloc currently has 35 MLAs but needs at least 41 votes to ensure victory. All five MLAs of AIMIM have pledged support to Tejashwi Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a decision finalised during an Iftaar hosted by AIMIM’s Bihar chief Akhtarul Iman. The alliance also has a lone MLA from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Meanwhile, the NDA maintains that Kushwaha will win, though he may require support from at least three opposition MLAs.

In Odisha, the outcome suggests two seats each for the BJP and the Biju Janata Dal. State BJP president Manmohan Samal, BJP MP Sujit Kumar and BJD nominee Santrupt Mishra are set to be elected unopposed. The contest for the fourth seat continues, with 30 votes needed to win in the 147-member assembly. The BJP and its allies command 82 votes, while the BJD has 48. With the Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) together holding 15 MLAs, the numbers could favour the BJD’s second candidate.

In Haryana, the BJP-led bloc has 53 MLAs in the 90-member assembly, comfortably ensuring victory for its official nominee Sanjay Bhatia. The Congress, with 37 MLAs, is expected to secure a seat for Karamvir Boddh. However, the entry of Independent candidate Satish Nandal — backed by the BJP — has complicated the contest. He would need at least nine additional votes, making cross-voting from Congress MLAs crucial for his chances.