Raipur: The Congress has renominated Phulo Devi Netam for the upcoming Rajya Sabha Elections 2026 from Chhattisgarh, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Laxmi Verma as its candidate.
The announcement comes as the terms of two sitting Rajya Sabha members — Phulo Devi Netam and KTS Tulsi — end on 9 April 2026.
Notably, both major parties have opted to field women candidates, highlighting a push for greater representation of women in the Upper House.
Congress retains Netam
The Congress high command cleared Netam’s name after intense deliberations. Several senior leaders were reportedly in contention, including Deepak Baij, Mohan Markam, Bhupesh Baghel and TS Singh Deo.
By renominating Netam, the party has shown confidence in her leadership, organizational strength, and parliamentary experience.
BJP focuses on social equations
The BJP’s selection of Laxmi Verma followed a detailed vetting process. Party sources said a shortlist of three names — Laxmi Verma, Narayan Chandel and Krishnamurti Bandhi — was finalised from an initial panel of seven.
Verma, known as a veteran organisational leader with nearly three decades of political experience, is seen as part of the BJP’s strategy to balance social equations and enhance women’s representation in the Rajya Sabha.
Current Rajya Sabha representation from Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh has five members in the Rajya Sabha:
- Phulo Devi Netam (Congress) – Term ends 9 April 2026
- KTS Tulsi (Congress) – Term ends 9 April 2026
- Rajeev Shukla (Congress) – Term ends 29 June 2028
- Ranjeet Ranjan (Congress) – Term ends 29 June 2028
- Devendra Pratap Singh (BJP) – Term ends 2 April 2030
Electoral arithmetic
Members of the Rajya Sabha are elected indirectly by MLAs through a system of proportional representation.
In the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly, each candidate requires at least 31 first-preference votes to secure victory in the current election for two vacant seats.
Given the present strength of parties in the Assembly, the upcoming contest will reveal whether both candidates can comfortably secure the required numbers.
