Congress Sweeps 3 of 4 Karnataka RS Seats, Kharge Re-Elected
Mallikarjun Kharge, Pawan Khera and Mansoor Ali Khan Win Unopposed; BJP's Nagaraja Secures Fourth Seat
- Congress wins three of four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka.
- Mallikarjun Kharge secures another term in the Upper House.
- Pawan Khera and Mansoor Ali Khan elected unopposed.
- BJP nominee M Nagaraja wins the remaining seat.
GG News Bureau
Bengaluru, 11th June: Congress secured a dominant victory in the Karnataka Rajya Sabha elections on Thursday, winning three of the four seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) captured the remaining seat as all four candidates were elected unopposed.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC Secretary Mansoor Ali Khan and Congress Media and Publicity Department Chairman Pawan Khera were declared elected to the Upper House. BJP nominee M Nagaraja also secured election.
The biennial elections were announced to fill four Rajya Sabha vacancies from Karnataka following the completion of the terms of sitting members Mallikarjun Kharge, Iranna Kadadi and Narayana Koragappa of the BJP, and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda of the Janata Dal (Secular) on June 25.
Polling was originally scheduled for June 18, with members of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly set to constitute the electoral college. However, the contest became unnecessary after only four valid candidates remained in the fray.
A total of five candidates had filed nominations before the deadline. During scrutiny, the nomination of an Independent candidate was rejected by election authorities.
With Thursday being the final day for withdrawal of nominations and no candidate opting out, only four contestants remained for the four available seats. Election officials subsequently declared all four candidates elected unanimously.
Kharge’s re-election ensures his continued presence in Parliament’s Upper House, while the victory of Pawan Khera and Mansoor Ali Khan strengthens Congress’s representation at the national level.
The outcome reflects the Congress’s numerical advantage in the Karnataka Assembly, enabling the party to comfortably secure three seats, while the BJP retained representation through M Nagaraja’s election.
Election officials confirmed that all four candidates were formally declared elected after the withdrawal deadline expired and no further contest remained.
