The Nationwide Democratic Alliance romped dwelling with all 5 Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar and three in Odisha, and one from Haryana on Monday (March 16, 2026)
The counting for the 2 seats in Haryana was delayed after the BJP and the Congress filed separate complaints.
A Congress delegation met with the Election Fee in Delhi and submitted a memorandum over the matter, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge writing to the EC alleging makes an attempt to intrude with the integrity of the election.
Rajya Sabha elections updates on March 16, 2026
Of the whole 37 vacancies in Rajya Sabha, elections have been held for less than 11 seats in Bihar, Odisha and Haryana as the remainder of the members have been earlier elected unopposed.
In Odisha, the BJP secured the victory of three candidates, together with Dilip Ray, a hotelier and Impartial candidate it supported, whereas the Biju Janata Dal managed to win only one seat amid giant scale cross-voting.
State BJP president Manmohan Samal, sitting BJP MP Sujeet Kumar and BJD candidate Santrupta Mishra romped dwelling with a cushty victories, with first choice votes from occasion MLAs. A fierce competitors was anticipated between Mr. Ray and Datteswar Ray, a “widespread” candidate introduced by BJD with assist from the Congress and Communist Occasion of India (Marxist).
In the long run, it turned out to be a one-sided struggle with many Congress and BJD MLAs voting throughout occasion traces in favour of Mr. Ray, one among founding members of the BJD. As many as 11 MLAs, together with eight from BJD and three from Congress, had cross-voted.
Regardless of missing the requisite numerical energy within the Odisha Meeting, the Mr. Ray secured an unimaginable victory. He had earlier pulled off the same win in 2002, when the BJD was at its peak of its energy.
In Haryana, the place two Rajya Sabha seats have been up for grabs, the method acquired caught on the counting stage after the BJP and the Congress filed separate complaints. BJP’s Sanjay Bhatia and Congress occasion’s Karamvir Singh Boudh have been declared elected in keenly watched elections as developments unfolded over allegations of violation of vote secrecy.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, in a late-night press convention, congratulated each the leaders on their win.
Congress president Mr. Kharge wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner, saying there was an try at interference with the election to the Rajya Sabha in Haryana.
Within the letter, Mr. Kharge, mentioned “There’s a clear try and intrude with the integrity of the election and it have to be stopped – redressed by the EC instantly. Moreover, no disqualification of our respectable voters – votes solid will be allowed in what’s clearly a clear try and taint/derail the method.”
The BJP on its half had filed a criticism a few breach of secrecy within the votes of two Congress MLAs, together with Bharat Singh Beniwal, MLA from Ellenabad, and Parmvir Singh, MLA from Tohana. The Congress occasion registered a criticism with the returning officer a few breach of secrecy within the vote of Cupboard Minister Anil Vij.
Within the 90-member Haryana Meeting, 88 MLAs solid their votes. Two MLAs of the Indian Nationwide Lok Dal (INLD), together with Arjun Chautala and Aditya Devilal, stayed away from voting. With 88 votes polled, the profitable quota got here right down to 30 votes.
For Haryana’s two vacant Rajya Sabha seats, three candidates are within the fray. The Congress occasion had fielded Karmavir Singh Boudh whereas the BJP nominated Sanjay Bhatia. The third candidate was Satish Nandal as an Impartial.
The ruling BJP has 48 MLAs, the Congress has 37, the INLD has two and three legislators are Independents within the 90-member Haryana Meeting.
In Bihar, all 5 candidates of the NDA made it to the Rajya Sabha after 4 MLAs of the Opposition Mahagathbandhan didn’t flip up for the voting. All 202 MLAs of the NDA solid their votes, whereas solely 37 MLAs from the Mahagathbandhan voted.
The 5 candidates who secured victory included two from the BJP — nationwide president Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar, and two from the Janata Dal (United) — Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Ramnath Thakur. Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) president and former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha additionally secured victory.
Out of the six Congress MLAs, three skipped the voting course of — Manohar Prasad Singh (Manihari), Surendra Prasad (Valimikinagar) and Manoj Bishwas (Forbesganj). Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA from Dhaka Meeting constituency Faisal Rahman additionally skipped voting.
There was a contest for the fifth seat between Mr. Shivesh Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Amarendra Dhari Singh. As per the calculation, there was a requirement of 41 votes to win a seat from the NDA aspect and Mr. Shivesh Kumar acquired 38 votes whereas Mr. Singh acquired 37 votes.
In response to the Meeting Secretariat, Mr. Nitish Kumar and Mr. Nitin Nabin every secured 44 votes whereas Mr. Thakur and Mr. Kushwaha acquired 42 votes every.
Within the first choice spherical, Mr. Shivesh Kumar acquired 30 votes. Rajya Sabha follows a system known as the Proportional Illustration by way of a Single Transferable Vote (STV). On this system, as a substitute of voting for only a single candidate, MLAs get a poll paper with the names of all of the candidates. They have to then rank them so as of their choice, i.e. first selection, second selection and so forth.
A candidate doesn’t want probably the most votes to win. They only want to succeed in a selected “quota”. This quantity is calculated based mostly on the whole variety of MLAs voting and the variety of seats obtainable. If a winner will get extra votes than the quota, their votes are transferred to the second choice. That is what occurred when Mr. Shivesh Kumar defeated the RJD’s candidate Mr. Singh in second selection.
Revealed – March 17, 2026 12:12 am IST
