Congress Party in Manipur Opts Out of Rajya Sabha Election

In a significant political move, the Congress party in Manipur has opted not to nominate a candidate for the state's lone Rajya Sabha seat due to a lack of sufficient MLA strength. With only five MLAs in the assembly, the party cannot meet the requirement for proposers needed to field a candidate. The BJP has already announced its candidate for the upcoming elections. This decision comes ahead of the Rajya Sabha election scheduled for June 18, raising questions about the Congress's strategy in the region.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 8, 2026, 10:47 IST

Congress Decision on Rajya Sabha Seat

An aerial view of the Rajya Sabha. (Photo:X)

IMPHAL, June 8: The Congress party in Manipur has made the decision to refrain from nominating a candidate for the state's sole Rajya Sabha seat.

A meeting convened by the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee at Congress Bhavan in Imphal on Saturday confirmed this decision, stating that no Congress candidate would be put forward for the Rajya Sabha election set for June 18.

With only five MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Legislative Assembly, the Congress party lacks the necessary strength to propose a candidate for the Rajya Sabha election.

To nominate a candidate, at least six MLAs are required to act as proposers.

Currently, there are 58 MLAs in the assembly following the end of terms for N Kayisii (Tadubi) and Vungzagin Valte (Thanlon). The ruling BJP holds 36 seats, while the National People’s Party has 6, the Naga People’s Front has 5, and the Congress has 5, along with 2 from the Kuki People’s Alliance, 1 from Janata Dal-United, and 3 Independents.

On June 4, the BJP announced its candidate for the 2026 Rajya Sabha biennial elections, naming Adhikarimayum Sarda Devi, the party's state president, who became the first female president of the BJP Manipur unit in 2021.

According to a notification from the Manipur Assembly dated June 1, the deadline for submitting nominations for the Rajya Sabha election is June 8, followed by the scrutiny of nomination papers on June 9.

The withdrawal of nominations is scheduled for June 11, with the election for the Rajya Sabha seat in Manipur taking place on June 18, as per the official notification.

Leishemba Sanajaoba, the current Rajya Sabha member from Manipur, will see his term end on June 21, having first taken office in June 2020. The Congress candidate Abdul Salam was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in 2014.

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