Rajya Sabha polls on March 16: Two Chhattisgarh seats set off BJP–Congress churn

RAIPUR: Election Commission of India has announced biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha for 37 seats across 10 states, including two from Chhattisgarh, setting the stage for a politically significant Upper House contest in the state on March 16.The two seats of Congeress from Chhattisgarh will fall vacant with the retirement of KTS Tulsi and Phulo Devi Netam on April 2. Both were elected in 2020. Tulsi, a senior Supreme Court advocate, has been known for his interventions on constitutional and legal issues, while Netam, a tribal leader from Bastar, has been one of the few Upper House representatives from Bastar region.As per the schedule released by the Commission, the notification will be issued on February 26, with nominations open until March 5. Scrutiny will take place on March 6, and candidates can withdraw by March 9. Polling will be held on March 16 between 9 am and 4 pm, with counting the same evening. The process will conclude by March 20, and newly elected members will assume office from April 3.Numbers favour ruling BJPUnlike the 2020 cycle when Congress held a dominant position in the assembly, the arithmetic has now shifted. With the BJP in power and enjoying a stronger tally of 54 seats in the 90-member member state assembly, the ruling party has the edge in one seat.This has triggered intense internal deliberations within both major parties. Congress, which had sent leaders from outside the state to the Rajya Sabha in the past — Tulsi being a prominent example — is now facing pressure from within to field local faces, particularly after criticism over limited state representation in Delhi.Phulo Devi Netam, the only recent Rajya Sabha MP from Chhattisgarh with a grassroots base in Bastar, is being seen by some within the party as a possible contender if Congress decides to retain a tribal voice. However, party insiders say the leadership may also weigh caste and regional balance amid a broader reset after the 2023 assembly loss.Local vs outsider debate resurfacesThe upcoming election has revived an old political debate in Chhattisgarh whether Rajya Sabha seats should go to state leaders or national figures. While Congress has historically accommodated leaders from outside the state, the BJP has largely preferred sending local leaders to the Upper House from Chhattisgarh.Within the BJP, speculation has already begun over potential nominees, especially among senior leaders who lost recent elections or are yet to find organisational roles. However, the party is known to take last-minute decisions on Rajya Sabha nominations, making predictions difficult at this stage.With nomination week approaching, the focus is now expected to shift from procedural timelines to candidate calculus, where caste equations, regional representation and loyalty may matter as much as legislative arithmetic.