Following her resignation from the Haryana Legislative Assembly, Kiran Choudhry, a four-time legislator and former Congress member who joined the BJP in June along with her daughter Shruti Choudhry, has been nominated by the BJP for the sole Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana.
The BJP is expected to secure the seat uncontested, as the Congress has announced it will not nominate a candidate. The resignation from Choudhry's Tosham Assembly constituency was officially accepted by the Vidhan Sabha Speaker, as confirmed by a notification from the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat.
This Rajya Sabha position became vacant after Congress leader Deepender Hooda was elected to the Lok Sabha from Rohtak on June 4. The term for this Rajya Sabha seat extends until April 9, 2026.
Kiran Choudhry, who served as the Congress MLA from Tosham in Bhiwani since 2019, is the daughter-in-law of former Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal. She left the Congress, criticizing the party’s state unit as being operated as a "personal fiefdom," a veiled reference to former Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda.
With the deadline for Rajya Sabha bypoll nominations set for August 21, the Congress has opted not to contest, citing insufficient numbers in the 90-member House. To win the seat, a candidate needs the backing of 44 legislators, but the current House has only 87 members.
Currently, the Congress holds 28 seats, with three Independents adding to this total, making 31. The BJP commands 41 seats, and with support from Haryana Lokhit Party’s Gopal Kanda and Independent Nayan Pal Rawat, their count rises to 43. Additionally, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) legislators Ram Niwas Surjakhera and Jogi Ram Sihag, who previously backed BJP candidates in the Lok Sabha elections, might support the BJP’s Rajya Sabha nominee, potentially bringing the BJP’s total to 45.
The Congress has requested Speaker Gian Chand Gupta to disqualify Kiran Choudhry, while the JJP has asked for the disqualification of Surjakhera and Sihag. Both petitions are still under review.
According to the election schedule, nominations can be submitted daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. until August 21 at the Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh to either the Returning Officer or the Assistant Returning Officer. The nomination papers will be scrutinized on August 22 at 10 a.m., and candidates can withdraw their nominations until August 27. If necessary, voting will occur on September 3.
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