Independent Candidate In Fray, Rajya Sabha Polls In Haryana Promises To Be A Cliffhanger

The entry of Independent candidate Satish Nandal in Haryana has given rise to concern about a reprisal of the state's Rajya Sabha elections in 2016 and 2022.

05 Mar 2026, 19:28 · www.ndtv.com

Show
Quick Read
Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed

Election for two Rajya Sabha seats in Haryana is scheduled for March 16
BJP's Sanjay Bhatia and Congress's Karmaveer Bauddh are the main candidates
Independent candidate Satish Nandal's entry raises concern of election upset

Did our AI summary help?
Let us know.
Switch To Beeps Mode

Election for two Rajya Sabha seats in Haryana will be held on March 16 to find replacements for Kiran Chaudhary and Ramchandra Jangra, whose terms are ending in April. Both BJP and Congress candidates have filed their nominations for the two seats. Based on the number of MLAs on each side, it appears that one seat will go to the BJP and one to the Congress. The BJP candidate is Sanjay Bhatia, while Karmaveer Bauddh is contesting for the Congress. But it is the entry of an Independent candidate that has made the election interesting

The entry of Independent candidate Satish Nandal has given rise to concern about a reprisal of the state's Rajya Sabha elections in 2016 and 2022.

Read: Advantage BJP As 37 Seats Up For Grabs In Big Rajya Sabha Battle

To win a Rajya Sabha seat in Haryana, one needs the votes of 31 MLAs. The state has 90 assembly seats, of which 48 are held by BJP. The party also has the support of three Independent MLAs.

The Congress has 37 MLAs and two belong to the Indian National Lok Dal. So while on the face of it, the Congress has numerical strength, a candidate of the party had faced defeat earlier despite the favourable circumstances.

In the June 2016 election for two seats, the BJP's Birendra Chaudhary had won one seat, and BJP-backed businessman Subhash Chandra won the other as an Independent candidate. The Congress's RK Anand had the support of INLD Anand in this election, their combined strength -- 35.

The votes of 14 Congress MLAs, however, were declared invalid because of the use of wrong ink, while one INLD MLA voted for Subhash Chandra.

In June 2022, Congress candidate Ajay Maken had lost the election for a Rajya Sabha seat, even though the Congress had 31 MLAs at the time. Independent candidate Kartikeya Sharma, supported by the BJP and JJP, had defeated Maken. BJP's Krishan Lal Panwar won the seat.

In this backdrop, the entry of an Independent candidate could pose a challenge for the Haryana Congress. The party's state unit is embroiled in factionalism - a situation that might lead to cross-voting and the defeat of the Congress candidate.

Satish Nandal has the support of 17 BJP leaders, 3 independents and needs nine more votes to fulfil criteria of 31.

Show full article

Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world