Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge is set to file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka on Friday at 2 pm. Party officials said Rahul Gandhi will accompany Kharge at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru during the filing of his papers on Friday.Meanwhile, according to the list released by Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, party spokesperson Pawan Khera and senior leader Mansoor Ali Khan will be the other two candidates from the state.Party insiders said discussions had largely centred around balancing organisational representation and political messaging as the Congress prepares for key parliamentary battles ahead.Kharge’s candidature comes at a time when the party is attempting to consolidate its senior leadership presence in Parliament. Khera’s entry into the Upper House has also been under discussion for months, with leaders viewing his nomination as part of a push to strengthen the party’s voice in national debates.The candidate selection process remains active in several other states as well. In Rajasthan, Congress leader Neeraj Dangi has been considered for another term in the Rajya Sabha. In Madhya Pradesh, Congress has fielded Meenakshi Natarajan.Political strategist Praveen Chakravarty has emerged as a strong contender for the vacant Rajya Sabha seat in Tamil Nadu, and has been approved as the candidate while Pranav Jha has been named from Jharkhand. Chakravarty is credited with playing a key role in shaping the Congress–TVK understanding. The vacancy arose after AIADMK leader CV Shanmugam resigned after his election to the Assembly.Polling for all 27 seats in Rajya Sabha is scheduled on June 18. The counting of votes is scheduled for the same day after 5 pm. Candidates can file nominations till 3 pm on June 8, while scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted by the respective returning officers on June 9. June 11 has been fixed as the last date for withdrawal of candidature.