Kharge and Praveen Chakravarty among Congress Rajya Sabha nominees

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge is among the seven Rajya Sabha candidates from five states that the party announced on Thursday, June 4, 2026, for the Rajya Sabha elections to be held on June 18.

Mr. Kharge is one of the three candidates from Karnataka. Pawan Khera, head of the party’s media and publicity wing, and Mansoor Ali Khan are the other two. The party has fielded All India Professionals Congress president Praveen Chakravarty from Tamil Nadu. Mr. Chakravarty was one of the early advocates of linking up with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, led by film star-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay.

In Madhya Pradesh, where the party could win one seat, it has chosen Meenakshi Natarajan, who had earlier represented the Mandsaur Lok Sabha constituency.

In Jharkhand, where the party could win a seat with the help of its ally Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the Congress has fielded Pranav Jha, secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), attached to the Congress President’s office.

In Rajasthan, Rajya Sabha member Neeraj Dangi has been given another term.