Congress Appoints Bhupesh Baghel, Ajay Sharma as Observers for Jharkhand Rajya Sabha Polls

New Delhi, June 2026 : The All India Congress Committee has appointed senior party leaders Bhupesh Baghel and Ajay Sharma as observers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha biennial elections in Jharkhand, as the party intensifies preparations for the crucial Upper House polls scheduled on June 18.

The appointments were approved by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and are aimed at ensuring smooth coordination and strategic management of the election process in the state.

The move comes as the Congress finalises its campaign and legislative strategy for the Rajya Sabha elections, which will fill 24 biennial vacancies across several states, along with three by-elections in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Odisha.

The party has so far announced seven candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls from different states. Among them is Mallikarjun Kharge himself, who filed his nomination from Karnataka on Thursday in the presence of senior party leaders, formally entering the contest for another term in the Upper House.

The Congress candidates announced so far include Kharge, Pawan Khera and Mansoor Ali Khan from Karnataka; Meenakshi Natarajan from Madhya Pradesh; Praveen Chakravarty from Tamil Nadu; Neeraj Dangi from Rajasthan; and Pranav Jha from Jharkhand.

Kharge’s current Rajya Sabha term is set to end on June 25, and the Congress is optimistic about retaining a strong presence from Karnataka, where it believes its legislative strength is sufficient to secure three of the four seats up for election.

Under the Rajya Sabha election system, members are elected through proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. As a result, party strength in state assemblies and alliance dynamics play a decisive role in determining outcomes.

In Jharkhand, Congress is the second-largest constituent of the ruling coalition led by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). The party currently holds 16 seats in the 81-member state Assembly and has been actively working to strengthen its organisational structure ahead of future electoral battles.

Recently, the party constituted a 36-member political affairs committee to improve coordination and expand its influence in the state. The committee includes state Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh and former minister Alamgir Alam.

Congress has staked claim to one Rajya Sabha seat from the ruling alliance, arguing that its Assembly strength justifies representation in the Upper House. Accordingly, it has nominated Pranav Jha as its candidate.

While maintaining cordial ties with its coalition partner JMM, Congress has continued to assert an independent political position on several issues, including land acquisition, displacement, mining policies and tribal welfare.

With the nomination deadline set for June 8, scrutiny scheduled for June 9, and withdrawals permitted until June 11, the party is now focusing on ensuring smooth coordination among legislators before voting and counting take place on June 18.