Kharge thanks Sonia Gandhi after being elected to Rajya Sabha unopposed

Mallikarjun Kharge credited Sonia Gandhi after being elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka. This is his 13th election. Other winners include Mansoor Ali Khan, Pawan Khera, and BJP nominee M Nagaraja.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has credited party chairperson Sonia Gandhi for his election to the Rajya Sabha, stating that she has consistently provided him with opportunities to serve the people throughout his political career. Speaking to reporters, Kharge said, "This is my 13th election... I am grateful to Sonia Gandhi. She has given me the opportunities to serve the people..."

Karnataka Rajya Sabha Election Results

Kharge was among four candidates declared yesterday elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka yesterday. The outcome was confirmed following the withdrawal deadline, as only four nominees remained in the contest for the four vacant seats, rendering the previously scheduled June 18 polling unnecessary. Joining Kharge in the Upper House are educationist Mansoor Ali Khan, son of former Union Minister K Rahman Khan; Congress media and publicity department chairperson Pawan Khera; and M Nagaraja, a former Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) member, who was the sole nominee from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Officials stated that the contest became uncontested after the scrutiny process led to the rejection of an independent candidate's nomination, leaving exactly four valid candidates for the four seats.

Nationwide Biennial Elections

The Election Commission issued a notification for biennial elections for the 24 Rajya Sabha seats on June 1. The seats include four each in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, three seats each in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, two seats in Jharkhand, and one seat each in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya.

Notification was also issued for the Rajya Sabha bypoll for a seat each in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Odisha.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)