Rajya Sabha Polls: Congress Eyes Shifting MLAs From MP, Jharkhand As Cross-Voting Shadow Looms Large

Published 9 June 2026 · local

Rajya Sabha Polls: Congress Eyes Shifting MLAs From MP, Jharkhand As Cross-Voting Shadow Looms Large Published By, Last Updated: June 09, 2026, 08:58 IST Fearing

Rajya Sabha Polls: Congress Eyes Shifting MLAs From MP, Jharkhand As Cross-Voting Shadow Looms Large Published By, Last Updated: June 09, 2026, 08:58 IST Fearing cross-voting in Rajya Sabha polls, Congress is mulling shifting MLAs from Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand to Karnataka or Telangana as contests tighten. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and others pose for photographs during the filing of the nomination papers (Photo: PTI) With just days to go for the June 18 Rajya Sabha elections, political temperatures have risen sharply in both Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, with the Congress considering moving its legislators to party-ruled states amid fears of cross-voting and alleged attempts by rivals to poach MLAs. The developments come after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) backed surprise candidates in contests that were earlier expected to be straightforward. In Madhya Pradesh, the Congress is weighing a proposal to move its MLAs out of the state ahead of voting for three Rajya Sabha seats. According to news agency PTI, the proposal was discussed during a late-night meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) at the residence of Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar. Party legislators were consulted on whether they should be moved to another state until polling day in a bid to keep the flock together and prevent any possibility of cross-voting.

Sources told PTI that the suggestion came after consultations with the Congress central leadership. Around 60 MLAs attended the meeting, while veteran leader Kamal Nath joined virtually. According to party sources, Karnataka’s capital Bengaluru is among the destinations under consideration, though a final decision is yet to be taken. BJP’S THIRD CANDIDATE CHANGES EQUATION The Congress’s concern stems from the BJP’s decision to field a third Rajya Sabha candidate, Mahesh Kewat, chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Fishermen Welfare Board. While BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh and state unit secretary Rajneesh Agrawal had filed nominations earlier, Kewat entered the contest on the final day of nominations, turning the third seat into a direct contest. The Congress has nominated former MP Meenakshi Natarajan and had initially appeared comfortably placed to secure one of the three seats. However, Kewat’s entry has injected uncertainty into the race and intensified concerns over possible defections or cross-voting. The party’s caution is also shaped by memories of the 2020 political crisis, when resignations by a group of Congress MLAs led by Jyotiraditya Scindia toppled the Kamal Nath government and paved the way for the BJP’s return to power in the state. The BJP, meanwhile, remains confident.