Rajya Sabha Biennial Polls on March 16: Abhishek Manu Singhvi Likely to Be Re-elected

The states of Tamil Nadu and Telangana will be witnessing Rajya Sabha biennial elections on March 16 for eight seats. From Tamil Nadu, six seats are going to be vacant, while from Telangana, it is only two seats. The Election Commission, this morning, announced the Rajya Sabha poll schedule for 10 states.

Post Published By: Karan Sharma
Updated : 18 February 2026, 5:07 PM IST
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New Delhi: The states of Tamil Nadu and Telangana will go to polls for eight vacant Rajya Sabha seats on March 16. To this effect, the Election Commission on Wednesday announced the Rajya Sabha biennial poll schedule for 10 states.

Of the eight seats, six are from Tamil Nadu, while two are from Telangana.

Retiring Members from Both States

From Tamil Nadu, those retiring include N. R. Elango, P. Selvarasu, M. Thambidurai, Tiruchi Siva, Dr. Kanimozhi, and G. K. Vasan.

From Telangana, the retiring members are Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi and K. R. Suresh Reddy.

Telangana: Congress Poised to Win Both Seats

Of the two seats from Telangana, the Congress is expected to win both, given its strength in the state Assembly. By all means, sitting Congress member Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi is likely to be re-elected, as he is a noted lawyer and represents the Telangana government in cases before the Supreme Court.

Tamil Nadu: DMK-Led Alliance in Advantage

From Tamil Nadu, the DMK-led alliance is expected to win a minimum of four Rajya Sabha seats, given its total strength of 158 MLAs, out of which DMK alone has 133 members and Congress has 17.

The Opposition alliance led by AIADMK has 67 MLAs, of which AIADMK has 60 members. It may be difficult for the Opposition to win a second seat, as they may fall short by about half a dozen MLAs.

Key Dates

The situation will become clearer once the Election Commission issues the notification for the polls. The last date for filing nominations will be March 5, and polling will be held on March 16.

Location : 
  • New Delhi

Published : 
  • 18 February 2026, 5:07 PM IST

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