Poaching fears for RS polls: MP Congress to move MLAs to Karnataka

Madhya Pradesh Congress leaders on Tuesday alleged poaching attempts by the BJP ahead of the June 18 Rajya Sabha polls and said the party has decided to move its MLAs to Congress‑ruled Karnataka to prevent cross‑voting and keep its camp united. The party MLA Sohan Lal Valmiki said,  "We are going to Karnataka as directed by the party. As per reports, BJP is trying to connect with our leaders. They are in power, and they often misuse the institutions of democracy. That is why we are remaining vigilant. For this reason, all our MLAs are united, and we are going away together with our families." 

VIDEO | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: Congress leaders gather at LoP Umang Singhar's residence ahead of departure to Karnataka amid Rajya Sabha election turmoil. MLA Sohan Lal Valmiki said,

"We are going to Karnataka as directed by the party. As per reports, BJP is trying to connect… pic.twitter.com/f9UodalMDL

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 9, 2026

The 230-member state assembly makes up the electoral college for the Rajya Sabha election. With the assembly's effective strength at 229, a candidate requires 58 first-preference votes to secure election to the Upper House of Parliament. The ruling BJP, which has 164 MLAs, is assured of winning two seats with 116 votes and has fielded party national general secretary Tarun Chugh and state unit secretary Rajneesh Agrawal.
The Congress has nominated former MP Meenakshi Natarajan and expressed confidence of retaining enough support to secure her election, while Kewat's entry has added a new dimension to the contest.Of the three vacant seats in the state, the BJP can comfortably win two, while the Congress has an upper hand in terms of numbers for the third seat.
Currently, the effective strength of the 230-member state assembly is 229. The BJP has 164 MLAs, and the Congress has 64, while the Bharat Adivasi Party holds one seat. Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti's membership from the Datia constituency has been revoked, leaving one seat vacant. The Madhya Pradesh High Court has barred Mukesh Malhotra, Congress MLA from Vijaypur in Sheopur district, from voting.
A petition has also been filed in the HC seeking the termination of the assembly membership of Nirmala Sapre, MLA from Bina in Sagar district. She is likely to vote for the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha election. Sapre also met with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday. Amid this scenario, Congress's effective tally could get reduced to 62, but it would still have 4 more votes than required to win the election.