NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar and Union minister Ramdas Athawale were among 26 candidates who were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha on Monday (March 9, 2026).
After the last date of withdrawal of candidature, elections to 11 seats of the Upper House — five in Bihar, four in Odisha and two in Haryana — would be held on March 16.
Bihar's longest serving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and BJP president Nitin Nabin are likely to be elected to the Rajya Sabha in the biennial elections.
As many as 40 candidates had filed their papers for 37 seats that fell vacant in 10 states, leading to a keen contest for one seat each in Bihar, Odisha and Haryana. Fourteen candidates now remain in the fray for 11 seats.
BJP president Nabin on Monday (March 9, 202
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