Rajya Sabha Elections 2026 Result Live: NDA sweeps all 5 Bihar seats; 3 BJP-backed candidates, BJD’s Santrupta Mishra win Odisha seats

After winning the Rajya Sabha election from Bihar, Nitin Nabin, national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, thanked the people of the state and the National Democratic Alliance for what he described as a landslide victory.

Nabin said the NDA’s Bihar unit had delivered a sweeping win and credited the alliance’s leaders and workers across the state for the outcome. He added that the victory belonged to the entire NDA team in Bihar.

Calling it his first opportunity to enter parliamentary life, Nabin said he was grateful to Narendra Modi and the party’s senior leadership for giving him the chance to serve as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that there had been an “attempt to interfere” with the Rajya Sabha election in Haryana.

In a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Kharge said, “There is a clear attempt to interfere with the integrity of the election and it must be stopped or redressed by the ECI immediately.” He added that no disqualification of “legitimate voters or votes cast” should be permitted, alleging that such moves appeared to be a “transparent attempt to taint or derail the process.”

Kharge has also sought an appointment with the poll body, requesting it to meet a Congress delegation led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi along with other senior party leaders.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a clean sweep in the Rajya Sabha elections from Bihar, winning all five seats and dealing a significant setback to the Opposition Mahagathbandhan.

The NDA had fielded Nitish Kumar, Nitin Nabin, Ram Nath Thakur, Upendra Kushwaha and Shivesh Ram, all of whom were elected. Kumar, Nabin, Thakur and Kushwaha secured victory through first-preference votes, while Shivesh Ram won in the second-preference round. Opposition candidate AD Singh received 38 votes.

Three BJP-backed candidates, namely Manmohan Samal, Sujeet Kumar and Independent candidate Dilip Ray, along with Santrupta Mishra of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have won the Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha, The Hindu reported. BJD deputy chief whip Pratap Keshari Deb said that eight party MLAs cross-voted in favour of Independent candidate Dilip Ray.

Voting and counting in the Rajya Sabha elections in Chandigarh were temporarily halted after objections were raised over several ballots.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) challenged two votes cast by the Indian National Congress. BJP leaders Gaurav Gautam and Kishan Bedi raised objections to the ballots, with Gautam acting as the party’s polling agent and Bedi serving as its election agent.

Meanwhile, the Congress also objected to a vote cast by minister Anil Vij. With both sides contesting the validity of votes, the counting process has remained stalled for over an hour.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar appeared headed for a comfortable victory in the biennial elections to five Rajya Sabha seats on Monday, with its candidates including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Nitin Nabin, the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Although the counting of votes was expected to conclude later in the evening, sources within the NDA claimed that all 202 MLAs belonging to the alliance had participated in the polling.

The alliance comprises Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) led by Union minister Chirag Paswan, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) headed by Jitan Ram Manjhi, and the Rashtriya Lok Morcha led by Upendra Kushwaha, who is himself among the five candidates.

In contrast, the Opposition Mahagathbandhan appeared to falter, with three MLAs from the Indian National Congress and one from the Rashtriya Janata Dal absent during polling. Their absence was notable on a day when even parties outside the opposition coalition, such as the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), were present to cast their votes.

The AIMIM, which has five MLAs in the Assembly, along with the lone BSP legislator, claimed to have voted in favour of the RJD candidate Amarendra Dhari Singh.

Polling for the two Rajya Sabha seats in Haryana ended at 4 p.m. on Monday.

While the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which has two legislators, abstained from voting, the Congress MLAs, who were shifted to Himachal Pradesh returned shortly after the polling began at 9 a.m. and cast their votes.

The results are expected to be declared later in the evening.

- via PTI

According to PTI, at least five MLAs from the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Indian National Congress are reported to have voted for Independent candidate Dilip Ray, who is backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Bhakta Charan Das, president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee, told reporters that three Congress MLAs — Ramesh Jena, Dasarathi Gomango and Sofia Firdous — had “voted in favour of the BJP.”

Naveen Patnaik, chief of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Leader of the Opposition in the Odisha Assembly, criticised the voting process in the ongoing Rajya Sabha elections, alleging that election rules were breached after a legislator was issued a second ballot paper.

Speaking to ANI, Patnaik claimed that the polling officer acted against established rules after an MLA from the Brahmagiri Assembly constituency made an error while casting her vote and was subsequently given another ballot paper.

“The MLA from Brahmagiri made a clear mistake while voting. However, the officer in charge inside the voting room illegally accepted her vote and issued a second ballot paper. This is completely against democratic norms and amounts to a violation of election rules,” Patnaik said.

Voting for four Rajya Sabha seats in Odisha was briefly suspended for nearly 30 minutes following a dispute over the issuance of a second ballot paper to a BJP legislator, PTI reported.

The interruption occurred after a polling agent from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) objected to a second ballot being issued to Upasana Mohapatra, a BJP MLA from Brahmagiri.

According to reports, Mohapatra had made an error while marking her vote on the ballot paper that had been issued to her earlier. She subsequently requested another ballot paper due to the overwriting on the first one. Election officials later allowed her to cast her vote after issuing a fresh ballot.

The development drew strong criticism from BJD president Naveen Patnaik, who alleged that the decision violated established electoral procedures.

“The lady MLA from Brahmagiri made a clear mistake while voting. However, the officers present in the voting room, who are in charge, have illegally accepted her vote and issued a second ballot paper,” Patnaik told reporters, according to PTI.

Calling the move a breach of democratic norms, Patnaik added, “This is completely against democratic principles and a violation of election rules. We strongly object to this. Some of our members have raised the issue, but the authorities are not listening, thereby undermining the democratic election process.”

Speaking on the Rajya Sabha elections, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said the Bharatiya Janata Party is confident of winning all five seats.

“In a democracy, everyone hopes for victory. Our calculation is based on the will of the people, and we are confident that we will succeed on that basis. All five of our candidates who will go to the Rajya Sabha will contribute to building a developed Bihar grounded in good governance,” he said.

Taking a swipe at the opposition, Sinha added, “They do nothing but complain and level allegations. These are the same people who once made Bihar suffer, but today the people of Bihar are making them answer for it.”

Voting for four Rajya Sabha seats in Odisha was halted for about 30 minutes after a dispute over the issuance of a second ballot paper to BJP MLA Upasana Mohapatra. She reportedly requested another ballot after making an overwrite on the first ballot paper issued in her name. Election officials later allowed her to cast her vote.

The move was strongly opposed by Naveen Patnaik, president of the Biju Janata Dal, who alleged that officials had wrongly issued a second ballot paper despite the MLA’s mistake during voting.

Umesh Singh Kushwaha, president of the Janata Dal (United) in Bihar, expressed strong confidence in the National Democratic Alliance winning the Rajya Sabha elections in the state. He said the NDA’s victory was “101% certain” and claimed that voting was taking place in favour of the alliance, adding that all five seats would go to the ruling coalition.

Kushwaha also criticised the opposition for allegedly detaining legislators ahead of the vote, saying such actions were an insult to democracy. He added that some legislators had managed to leave such situations and praised their courage.

Mohd Zama Khan, minister in Bihar, expressed confidence that the Janata Dal (United)–Bharatiya Janata Party alliance will win the Rajya Sabha elections. He thanked the people of Bihar for their support and said many leaders are in touch with the ruling alliance because they favour development and the government’s work.

Meanwhile, Ranvijay Sahu, MLA from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, said the Rajya Sabha elections are important for Bihar and the country and claimed the NDA was “off the radar.” Voting for 37 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states is currently underway, with counting scheduled to begin at 5 pm.

Dipika Pandey Singh, minister in Jharkhand and Congress MLA, expressed confidence that a major political shift is likely in the upcoming assembly elections in Assam. She said people in the state are unhappy with the government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and claimed voters are ready for change.

During her remarks, Singh said that a “government of common people” would be formed in Assam and predicted that Gaurav Gogoi would become the next chief minister. The comments came a day after the Election Commission of India announced that polling for all 126 assembly constituencies in Assam will be held in a single phase on April 9, with vote counting scheduled for May 4. The Model Code of Conduct has also come into effect in the poll-bound state.

Arun Bharti, MP from Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), said all MLAs of the National Democratic Alliance have cast their votes in the Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar and expressed confidence in the victory of NDA candidates. He also criticised Tejashwi Yadav, claiming the opposition leader is losing his support base and that the defeat would further weaken his standing within his party. Bharti also mentioned that an Iftar party has been organised from 6 pm and all leaders have been invited to attend.

Nitin Nabin, national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party and NDA’s Rajya Sabha candidate, arrived at the Bihar Legislative Assembly to cast his vote in the ongoing Rajya Sabha elections. Voting for the Upper House seats is currently underway with legislators participating in the electoral process.

In the Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar, a total of 176 MLAs from the National Democratic Alliance have cast their votes so far. From the opposition Mahagathbandhan camp, 37 legislators have participated in the voting process. Meanwhile, only 24 MLAs from the Rashtriya Janata Dal have turned up to cast their votes so far.

Diganta Kalita, an MLA from the Bharatiya Janata Party in Assam, said the party and its allies are targeting a third consecutive term in power after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the state assembly elections. Reacting to the poll dates, Kalita said preparations have been completed and the alliance is confident ahead of the voting scheduled for April 9.

Ahead of voting in the Rajya Sabha elections, Anil Vij, minister in the Haryana government, said he would cast his vote despite suffering fractures in both his legs. The senior BJP leader said participating in the election was important and expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party would win both Rajya Sabha seats from the state.

Vijay Kumar Sinha, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies will secure all five Rajya Sabha seats from the state. He said the alliance’s victory would reflect the will of the people and claimed the elected members would contribute to building a developed Bihar with strong governance. Sinha also criticised the opposition, accusing them of making baseless allegations and failing to contribute positively to the state’s progress.

Congress MP from Tamil Nadu, Manickam Tagore, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of attempting to poach Congress MLAs in Bengaluru ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections. Tagore alleged that BJP leaders were offering money to Odisha legislators and claimed the party would finish third in Tamil Nadu behind the AIADMK.

Ahead of the voting, the Congress moved several of its MLAs from Haryana to Himachal Pradesh to prevent any cross-voting. The legislators were initially taken to a hotel and later shifted to Kasauli, Solan district, Himachal Pradesh before returning to Chandigarh once the polling process began.

Nayab Singh Saini was among the first leaders to cast his vote in the Rajya Sabha elections. Several other BJP leaders, including minister Shyam Singh Rana and MLAs such as Krishna Gahlawat, Mool Chand Sharma and Ram Kumar Gautam, also participated in the early voting.

The entry of Independent candidate Satish Nandal has added intrigue to the Haryana Rajya Sabha elections. Nandal, who previously contested the 2019 assembly elections as a BJP nominee, is currently one of the party’s state vice presidents and is receiving backing from the ruling party.

Voting for two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana began on Monday with polling taking place in the state assembly in Chandigarh. Legislators started casting their votes in the morning, and the contest features candidates from the BJP, Congress and an Independent backed by the ruling party.

Three candidates are contesting for the two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana. The contenders include BJP nominee Sanjay Bhatia, Congress candidate Karamvir Singh Boudh and Independent candidate Satish Nandal. The BJP is supporting Nandal for the second seat, making the contest politically significant.

Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief and NDA Rajya Sabha candidate Upendra Kushwaha on Monday expressed confidence that all NDA candidates will win the Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar.

“Out of five, all five NDA candidates will win. There is no confusion about this, not even from the day of nomination till today,” Kushwaha said while speaking during the ongoing polling.

Reacting to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s remarks, Kushwaha also took a swipe at him. “He was even ready to take oath as the Chief Minister. But what happened?” he said, referring to the political developments in the state.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday took a jibe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as voting for the Rajya Sabha elections continued in the state. Yadav claimed he had earlier predicted that Kumar would not remain the Chief Minister.

“I have already expressed my sympathies to Nitish Kumar. The day he left the Mahagathbandhan and returned to the BJP in 2024, I had said that JD(U) has no future left,” Yadav said.

He further added that he had predicted Nitish Kumar would not continue as the Chief Minister after the elections. “I had said that after the election, Nitish Kumar would not be the CM. What they did in Maharashtra has been repeated here in a slightly different way. BJP destroys whoever it sides with,” he said.

-ANI

Bihar minister Mangal Pandey on Monday said that all NDA candidates are set to win in the Rajya Sabha elections as the voting process takes place. He expressed confidence in the alliance’s strength and said the results would be in its favour.

“Today the voting process will be completed, and all NDA candidates will win,” Pandey said while speaking to reporters.

Reacting to reports that RJD MLAs have been kept in a hotel ahead of the polls, the BJP leader took a swipe at the opposition party. “They (RJD) do not trust their own MLAs, that is why they are doing this,” he said, referring to the move to keep legislators together to prevent cross-voting.

JD(U) leader and Bihar minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary on Monday expressed confidence that all the NDA candidates will win the Rajya Sabha elections with a clear and decisive margin.

Chaudhary said the ruling alliance has the required numbers and there is strong unity among NDA legislators. He added that the alliance is confident of securing victory in all the seats it is contesting.

"Elections are underway, and the results are also clear. All five NDA candidates will win with a strong and decisive majority... It is also clear that some parties do not trust their own MLAs; some are confined to hotels, others have been taken elsewhere, but all NDA MLAs are freely moving, and there is complete trust in all five candidates, leaders, and MLAs. This is what will ensure our victory."

Voting for 37 Rajya Sabha seats has begun across 10 states, including Maharashtra, Haryana, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Odisha, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana. Among these states, six are ruled by the BJP-led NDA alliance, while the opposition INDIA bloc is in power in the remaining four.

Ahead of the polls, intense political activity was seen in Bihar and Odisha, with parties taking steps to prevent cross-voting. In Bihar, the opposition Grand Alliance shifted its MLAs to a hotel to keep them together before the voting. Similarly, the Odisha Congress had earlier moved its legislators to a resort in Bengaluru, alleging attempts to poach its MLAs.