The toughest contests are expected in opposition-ruled states like Rajasthan and Maharashtra, where both sides have herded their MLAs to resorts to prevent poaching
All eyes are on voting for the crucial Rajya Sabha elections scheduled today (Friday, June 10) amid allegations of poaching and horse trading for 16 seats spread across four states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Haryana. The toughest contests are expected in opposition-ruled states like Rajasthan and Maharashtra, where both sides have herded their MLAs to resorts to prevent poaching. Prominent among those contesting are Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal, Congress’s Randeep Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh and Mukul Wasnik, and Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut.
While overall there were 57 seats vacant, 41 have been filled as the candidates here won unopposed. News18 takes a look at these picks:
UTTAR PRADESH (11)
- Laxmikant Vajpayee (BJP)
- Radhamohan Aggarwal (BJP)
- Surendra Nagar (BJP)
- Darshana Singh (BJP)
- Sangeeta Yadav (BJP)
- Baburam Nishad (BJP)
- Mithlesh Kumar (BJP)
- Kova Laxman (BJP)
- Javed Ali (SP)
- Jayant Chaudhary (joint candidate of SP-RLD)
- Kapil Sibal (Independent with SP backing)
BIHAR (5)
- Khiru Mahto (JD-U)
- Satish Chandra Dubey (BJP)
- Sambhu Saran Patel (BJP)
- Misa Bharti (RJD)
- Faiyaz Ahmad (RJD)
JHARKHAND (2)
- Aditya Sahu (BJP)
- Mahua Maji (JMM)
CHHATTISGARH (2)
- Rajiv Shukla (Congress)
- Ranjeet Ranjan
ODISHA (3)
- Sasmit Patra (BJD)
- Sulata Deo (BJD)
- Manas Mangaraj (BJD)
TELANGANA (2)
- Divakonda Damodar Rao (TRS)
- B Parathasadhi Reddy (TRS)
TAMIL NADU (6)
- Thanjai S Kalyanasundaram (DMK)
- KRN Rajesh Kumar (DMK)
- R Girirajan (DMK)
- P Chidambaram (Congress)
- CV Shanmugam (AIADMK)
- R Dharmar (AIADMK)
ANDHRA PRADESH (4)
- V Vijaysai Reddy (YSR Congress)
- Beeda Masthan Rao (YSR Congress)
- S Niranjan Reddy (YSR Congress)
- R Krishnaiah (YSR Congress)
MADHYA PRADESH (3)
- Sumitra Valmiki (BJP)
- Kavita Patidar (BJP)
- Vivek Tankha (Congress)
PUNJAB (2)
- Balbir Singh Seechawal (AAP)
- Vikramjit Singh Sahney (AAP)
UTTARAKHAND (1)
- Kalpana Saini (BJP)
