Voting for one Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh will be held on March 16, with the Election Commission set to issue the notification on February 26. The last date for filing nominations is March 5, while candidates can withdraw their nominations until March 9. Counting of votes will begin at 5:00 PM on the day of polling.
The election has been necessitated as the term of sitting Rajya Sabha MP Indu Bala Goswami of the BJP is set to end on April 9, 2026. The upcoming poll will decide who represents the state in the Upper House for the next term.
The last Rajya Sabha election in the state, held in 2024, witnessed dramatic political developments. Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost the contest following cross-voting by Congress MLAs. The BJP’s Harsh Mahajan emerged victorious, a result that had triggered sharp political reactions and internal churn within the Congress.
At present, the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly has 40 MLAs from the Indian National Congress and 28 from the BJP, making the upcoming election politically significant despite the Congress holding a numerical edge.
Speculation has already begun over potential candidates. Former Union Minister Anand Sharma and former state Congress president Pratibha Singh are among the names being discussed within party circles. In recent days, the name of State Congress in-charge Rajni Patil has also surfaced as a possible contender.
With memories of cross-voting still fresh, all eyes will be on party strategies and internal cohesion as March 16 approaches.
