Congress Releases Rajya Sabha Candidate List; Pawan Khera Among Key Picks

Congress has announced its Rajya Sabha candidates, fielding Mallikarjun Kharge, Pawan Khera and other key leaders from six states.

Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Mallikarjun Kharge feature in the party's Rajya Sabha candidate list.

Source : ANI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Congress announced its Rajya Sabha candidate list for elections.
• Prominent leaders Pawan Khera, Mallikarjun Kharge received nominations.
• Selections cover five states, balancing experience with representation.

Congress has released its list of Rajya Sabha candidates for Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand. The party has fielded Mallikarjun Kharge, Pawan Khera and Mansoor Ali Khan from Karnataka. Meenakshi Natarajan has been nominated from Madhya Pradesh, Neeraj Dangi from Rajasthan, Praveen Chakravarty from Tamil Nadu and Pranav Jha from Jharkhand.

The Congress President, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, has approved the candidature of the following persons as Congress candidates to contest the biennial/bye-elections to the Council of States from the states mentioned against their names: pic.twitter.com/hPB8gVfWUP

— INC Sandesh (@INCSandesh) June 4, 2026

Who Got Tickets?

Karnataka

• Mallikarjun Kharge
• Pawan Khera
• Mansoor Ali Khan

Madhya Pradesh

• Meenakshi Natarajan
• Rajasthan
• Neeraj Dangi

Tamil Nadu

• Praveen Chakravarty

Jharkhand

• Pranav Jha
• Khera Gets Rajya Sabha Nod

Khera Elevated To Rajya Sabha

Pawan Khera's nomination to the Rajya Sabha marks a significant elevation for one of the Congress party's most prominent national spokespersons. As chairman of the party's media and publicity department, Khera has been a key face of the Congress's communication strategy and has regularly represented the party on major political issues.

His nomination comes four years after he missed out on a Rajya Sabha berth in 2022, despite being among the party's most visible leaders. With the latest decision, the Congress has moved Khera from a communication role into parliamentary politics, giving him a platform in the Upper House as the party seeks to strengthen its presence in Parliament.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has also been nominated from Karnataka, reaffirming his central role in the party's leadership. 

The announcement comes as parties finalise their nominees for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, with the focus now shifting to the electoral contests and the balance of strength in the Upper House