Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 6 (ANI): Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan for Rajya Sabha elections on Saturday expressed gratitude to the party's senior leadership and MLAs for entrusting her with this responsibility, characterising the polls as a fight for 'democratic values'.

Speaking to ANI, Meenakshi Natarajan, who is the All India Congress Committee (AICC) In-charge for Telangana, said, 'I thank all the senior leaders and MLAs of the party for giving me this opportunity.The Congress is ready to face all kinds of situations.This is a fight of democratic values,' he said.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections officially filed their nominations on Saturday from Madhya Pradesh.

Among those filing their nominations were BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh and party leader Rajneesh Agrawal, both of whom are vying for seats in the Upper House.

The filing process took place in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

Following the submission of his nomination papers, Rajneesh Agrawal spoke to ANI to express his appreciation for the party's trust.'I repeatedly express my gratitude to the central leadership, the state leadership, the national president, and everyone. This leadership takes decisions under a process,' Agrawal stated.

BJP's Rajya Sabha candidate Tarun Chugh, on filing his nomination, expressed the sentiment, saying, 'We are soldiers of the party; this is a party directive, and we are fulfilling it as party workers.'

Chugh also expressed gratitude, stating, 'I am deeply grateful to both the national leadership and the leadership in Madhya Pradesh. They have showered us with such abundant blessings.'

Earlier, on June 3, the Election Commission issued a notification for biennial elections to 24 Rajya Sabha seats from ten states. This includes four seats each in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, three seats each in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, two seats in Jharkhand, and one seat each in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya. Notification was also issued for the Rajya Sabha bypoll for a seat each in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Odisha.

Congress has released its list of seven candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. The list includes party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who has been nominated from Karnataka.

The party has also nominated Mansoor Ali Khan and Pawan Khera from Karnataka, Meenakshi Natarajan from Madhya Pradesh.

Neeraj Dangi has been nominated from Rajasthan, while Praveen Chakravarty has been fielded from Tamil Nadu and Pranav Jha from Jharkhand. (ANI)