Top Congress leaders on Monday met at the residence of party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss the names of party candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

Former party chief Sonia Gandhi and treasurer Ajay Maken are among the likely candidates, sources said.

Gandhi is the frontrunner for the seat that will fall vacant from Himachal Pradesh after BJP chief J P Nadda's tenure ends this April.

The Congress is yet to announce any candidate for the biennial elections for 56 seats from 15 states. The last date for filing nominations is February 15 and elections will be held on February 27.

Gandhi is likely to be nominated by the party for the lone seat from the hill state as she is unlikely to contest the Lok Sabha this time. Gandhi had stated in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls that it was the last time she was contesting in the general elections.

Among those present at Kharge's residence were Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and party treasurer Ajay Maken. Senior party leader Mukul Wasnik was also present at the meeting.

The Congress has to name candidates for election to Rajya Sabha seats from the states of Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Tika Ram Jully urged the high command to announce Sonia Gandhi's candidature from Rajasthan.

“We have requested the national president and the high command to nominate Sonia Gandhi to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. If she is elected from here, all the Congress workers from the state will be very happy,” the Congress leader said.

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