The biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha are underway today, March 16, 2026, to fill 37 seats across 10 states. Voting began at 9 am, with the counting of votes scheduled for later in the day at 5 pm. The seats vacated by members from states such as Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana will be filled during this election.
Out of the 37 seats, 26 candidates have already been elected unopposed, including members from the BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Shiv Sena, and others. However, the voting for the remaining 11 seats will be closely watched, particularly in Bihar, Odisha, and Haryana, which are witnessing fierce contests between the BJP-led NDA and opposition parties.
Notably, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a prominent NDA figure, has filed his nomination, alongside other candidates like Upendra Kushwaha and BJP national president Nitin Nabin. With cross-voting and concerns about horse-trading, several political parties, particularly the Congress, have moved their legislators to secure party unity before the elections.
In Bihar, the polling for five Rajya Sabha seats has already commenced, with the NDA candidates, including Nitish Kumar, in the fray. Odisha is also witnessing its first Rajya Sabha election in 12 years, with four seats up for grabs and strong competition between the ruling BJP and the opposition BJD. In Haryana, voting for two seats is underway, with BJP's Sanjay Bhatia and Congress's Karamvir Singh Boudh vying for the positions.
