Bengaluru, June 11: Four candidates — BJP’s M. Nagaraj and Congress leaders Pawan Khera, Mansoor Ali Khan and Mallikarjun Kharge — have been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka following the completion of the biennial Rajya Sabha election process for 2026.
According to the notification issued by the Election Commission of India, the election schedule for the four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka commenced with the filing of nominations on June 1, 2026. The last date for filing nominations was June 8, while June 11 was fixed as the deadline for withdrawal of candidature. Polling, if required, had been scheduled for June 18, 2026.
For the four vacancies, the Bharatiya Janata Party had fielded M. Nagaraj as its candidate, while the Indian National Congress nominated Pawan Khera, Mansoor Ali Khan and Mallikarjun Kharge. Independent candidate Bhojanna Swamy had also entered the fray by filing nomination papers.
The scrutiny of nomination papers was conducted on June 9, 2026. During the process, the nomination filed by independent candidate Bhojanna Swamy was rejected, leaving only four valid candidates in the contest for the four available seats.
Following the completion of the withdrawal process, Karnataka Legislative Assembly Secretary and Returning Officer M.K. Vishalakshi formally declared the results on Thursday.
In her official announcement, the Returning Officer declared M. Nagaraj of the BJP and Pawan Khera, Mansoor Ali Khan and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress as elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka.
With the number of valid candidates matching the number of vacancies, polling was rendered unnecessary and the four candidates were declared elected without a contest.
The outcome strengthens the representation of both the BJP and the Congress in the Upper House of Parliament, with senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge among those securing a fresh term from Karnataka.
