‘Political game played’ in Bihar, Haryana and Odisha Fear of happening, will all the equations change today?

By Samira Vishwas On Mar 16, 2026

Rajya Sabha Election 2026: Today, the morning of 16th March has been very hectic for Indian politics, because voting is about to begin on a total of 11 Rajya Sabha seats from three states of the country – Bihar, Haryana and Odisha. This election is not limited only to the membership of the upper house of the Parliament, but it is also a litmus test of the unity of regional parties and the strength of national alliances.

The strategic chatter between the leaders in the assembly premises since morning has made it clear that the results can be shocking. While the path for some candidates seems to be very easy, on some seats the issue is so complicated that it is difficult to say anything till the end.

Will Kushwaha be able to defeat Owaisi?

There are 6 candidates in the fray for five seats in Bihar politics, which has made the contest a ‘numbers game’ Has changed to. From the NDA side, the victory of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Ramnath Thakur, Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar is considered certain, but the real fight is raging between Upendra Kushwaha and RJD’s Amarendra Dhari Singh for the fifth seat. To win a seat in Bihar, support of 41 MLAs is needed.

#WATCH | Rajya Sabha Elections Patna, Bihar: Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi said, ‘Five out of five seats are going to go to NDA’s account in Bihar. When we are about to leave after the counting of votes, there is no doubt that all five of our leaders will leave as Rajya Sabha members.”
he adds,… pic.twitter.com/w5fnQxULNj
— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) March 16, 2026

NDA has 202 MLAs, but Kushwaha needs additional votes to ensure his victory. Meanwhile, the stand of five MLAs of Asaduddin Owaisi’s party and BSP has complicated the strategy of the grand alliance. Everyone’s eyes are on whether Tejashwi Yadav’s candidate will be able to win on the basis of opposition unity or whether the NDA will be successful in breaking through.

What is the condition of Odisha?

There is a huge tussle today on four Rajya Sabha seats of Odisha, where 5 candidates are trying their luck. The victory of BJP’s Manmohan Samal and Sujit Kumar as well as BJD’s Satrat Mishra is considered almost certain. Controversy arose when BJP accused Satrat Mishra of hiding information in his affidavit.
However, the real contest for the fourth seat is between BJP-backed Dilip Ray and Congress’ dedicated candidate Dr. Datteshwar Mishra. BJP has the support of 82 MLAs, but they need 8 additional votes to make their third candidate win. On the other hand, BJD and Congress are together trying to wrest this seat, but Congress is deeply afraid of cross-voting in its own camp.

Also read: Leaders kept waiting all night, 4 Congress MLAs ‘not reachable’… played before voting for Rajya Sabha in Bihar!

Will Congress remain united in Haryana?

The elections being held on two seats in Haryana have also attracted the attention of the country, because here too more candidates than the prescribed number are in the fray. BJP’s Sanjay Bhatia’s victory is certain, but for the second seat there is a close contest between Congress’s Karmaveer Bauddha and BJP-backed independent candidate Satish Nandal. 31 votes are required for one seat in Haryana. Congress has 37 MLAs, which is enough to win, but the party fears that some of its angry MLAs may switch sides.

This ‘fear’ Due to this, Congress had sent its MLAs to the resort of Shimla to keep them united. By this evening it will be clear whether veterans like Hooda and Vinesh Phogat are able to safely elect their party’s candidate or whether independent candidates turn the tables.