Cong dilemma in Upper House

With assembly seats shrinking post Bihar rout, party may lose ground in polls for 75 RS seats next yr

- PREETHA NAIR @NewDelhi

STILL reeling from its devastating performance in the Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress now faces a critical test of biannual Rajya Sabha elections, scheduled for early next year.

With the party’s Assembly seats shrinking in several key states and alliance leverage weakening, it may struggle to retain its influence in the Upper House. Elections for 75 seats in the Rajya Sabha are scheduled across April, June, and November 2026. While the BJP-led NDA is expected to make net gains, the elections may present an uphill task for the Congress with its weakened MLA base and rising internal dissent.

The elections will see seats vacated across multiple states, including Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Himachal Pradesh, among others.