Last Updated on January 23, 2026 11:12 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Staff Reporter / New Delhi
As many as eight members of the Congress party are set to retire from the Rajya Sabha this year. However, the party’s strength in the Upper House is expected to rise by 11 members, taking the Congress tally to 30, up from its current strength of 27.
Among the prominent leaders retiring this summer is Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, 83. Party sources indicate that Kharge is likely to be re-elected for a second term from Karnataka. Senior leader and Congress legal cell chief Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who currently represents Telangana, is also expected to be renominated.
Meanwhile, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, 76, who is due to retire, is unlikely to return to the Upper House for a third term. In his place, the party is considering nominating another former Chief Minister, Kamal Nath, from Madhya Pradesh.
The state from which members are retiring are from Karnataka, Telengana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala.
Sources said the expected increase in the Congress’s Rajya Sabha strength reflects improved electoral prospects in states where the party is part of the ruling dispensation.The final list of candidates is likely to be announced closer to the election schedule for the vacant seats.