Exciting Election Results for Haryana's Rajya Sabha Seats

The recent elections for two Rajya Sabha seats in Haryana concluded with BJP's Sanjay Bhatia and Congress's Karamveer Singh Bauddh winning amidst a backdrop of controversy and cross-voting allegations. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini congratulated the winners, while Congress leaders expressed their intent to take action against party members involved in cross-voting. With the political landscape shifting, the results set the stage for future electoral battles in the state. Read on to learn more about the candidates and the implications of these results.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 17, 2026, 09:20 IST

Haryana's Rajya Sabha Elections Conclude

In a thrilling and contentious election for two Rajya Sabha seats in Haryana, Sanjay Bhatia from the BJP and Karamveer Singh Bauddh from Congress have been declared elected. The drama surrounding the secrecy of votes and cross-voting, which began on Monday night, concluded with the announcement of results on Tuesday morning. Haryana's Chief Minister, Nayab Singh Saini, congratulated both leaders during a late-night press conference. Officials reported that five votes were declared invalid, including four from Congress and one from the BJP.

Candidates and Voting Dynamics

Three candidates contested for these two seats: BJP's Bhatia (58), Congress's Karamveer Singh Bauddh (61), and independent candidate Satish Nandal (63). Nandal, who was backed by the BJP, had previously run for the assembly elections in 2019 but did not succeed. Chief Minister Saini noted that Nandal lost to the Congress candidate by a narrow margin, citing the total votes received by the independent candidate. He also claimed that five Congress legislators engaged in cross-voting, leading to the invalidation of four votes from Congress.

Congress's Response to Cross-Voting

B.K. Hariprasad, the general secretary in charge of Congress's Haryana unit, stated that action would be taken against legislators who participated in cross-voting and betrayed the party. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, addressing reporters, refrained from naming the Congress legislators involved but emphasized that the public would hold them accountable. He criticized the BJP for employing various tactics but asserted that Congress successfully passed the 'trial by fire' by winning one seat.

Looking Ahead to 2026

The candidates for the two seats included BJP's Bhatia (58), Congress's Karamveer Singh Bauddh (61), and independent Satish Nandal (63). Nandal had previously contested as a BJP candidate in the 2019 assembly elections but faced defeat. The Haryana Assembly, which has 90 members, consists of 48 BJP legislators, 37 from Congress, two from INLD, and three independents. The two Rajya Sabha seats became vacant as BJP members Kiran Chaudhary and Ram Chandra Jangra's terms are set to end on April 9. Nandal lost to Congress leader Hooda in the 2019 assembly elections from the Gadhi-Sampala-Kiloi seat. Before joining the BJP, he was also part of INLD. BJP's Bhatia is a former MP from Karnal, while Congress's Bauddh, a retired government employee, has been an advocate for Dalit issues across various platforms.