Kharge files Rajya Sabha nomination from Karnataka

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday filed his nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka, accompanied by senior party leaders including Rahul Gandhi, chief minister D.K. Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah.

Kharge submitted his nomination at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru ahead of the biennial Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for 18 June.

The filing of the nomination took place against the backdrop of growing unrest within the newly formed Congress government in Karnataka, with differences emerging over the allocation of ministerial portfolios.

Rahul Gandhi and Kharge arrived in Bengaluru earlier in the day and were received at the airport by chief minister Shivakumar, Karnataka Congress president B.K. Hariprasad, Siddaramaiah and other senior leaders.

During the visit, Gandhi planted and watered a sapling at Kempegowda International Airport before proceeding to the nomination event. Several senior Congress leaders, including party general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and minister M.B. Patil, were also present.

The Rajya Sabha election, meanwhile, is expected to be a key political event for the Congress, with Kharge's candidature carrying significant symbolic and organisational importance for the party.

With IANS inputs