NEW DELHI: With just three days remaining until the March 5 deadline for filing nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections, backroom meetings and political manoeuvring have intensified within the opposition camp as parties scramble to finalise their nominees.
While the BJP is set to win at least half of the 37 Rajya Sabha seats going to the polls on March 16, the opposition is locked in intense negotiations to maximise its tally, even as internal divisions threaten to dent its already slim prospects in states such as Maharashtra, Assam and Bihar.
The Congress is expected to win five seats -- one each from Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Haryana, and two from Telangana, based on its current strength in state assemblies. Party managers have been brainstorming potential candidates, with names such as Pawan Khera, Supriya Shrinate, Kanhaiya Kumar, Anand Sharma, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Bhupesh Baghel, and Amitabh Dubey doing the rounds.
Sources suggest that while Rahul Gandhi is keen on sending younger, more aggressive faces to the Upper House, another section favours seasoned leaders with experience and parliamentary skills.
The Congress may also expand its tally if its ally, the DMK, agrees to allocate one Rajya Sabha seat as part of their seat-sharing arrangement in Tamil Nadu, with formal talks between the two parties commenced on Saturday.
Of the six Rajya Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu, four are currently held by the DMK and two by the AIADMK. However, sources indicate that the DMK leadership is keen to nominate a leader firmly aligned with Dravidian ideology and is reportedly unwilling to back a North Indian face.
In Maharashtra, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has one winnable seat, but unity appears fragile. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has asserted that it has the “first right” to the seat, while the Congress has staked its claim, citing its status as a national party.
In Assam, with three seats up for grabs, the Congress and its allies lack the numbers to win a seat without support from the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). Any arrangement could reshape opposition alignments ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections.
In Kolkata, the TMC on Friday announced four names. The TMC nominated Babul Supriyo, Rajeev Kumar, Menaka Guruswamy and Koel Mallick.
In Bihar, the INDIA bloc is short by six votes to bag a fifth Rajya Sabha seat. With 35 seats, it may need support from five AIMIM MLAs and one from the BSP. However, all eyes are on the next move of six Congress MLAs, which makes the arithmetic even tighter.
In Odisha, the BJP is expected to secure two seats, while one is likely to go to the BJD. The Congress, however, is exploring the possibility of backing a joint opposition candidate for the fourth seat, potentially with BJD support. The Congress has 14 MLAs, and the CPI(M) has one member in the 147-member Odisha Assembly.