New Delhi, March 17 (NationPress) Shiv Sena-UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has proposed that the Rajya Sabha be renamed to the 'Horse-Trading Chamber of India' during a statement made outside Parliament.

In her conversation with IANS, Chaturvedi expressed her disapproval of the Upper House's current operations, claiming it has diminished in respectability over the years. "I believe the Rajya Sabha's name should be altered. It ought to be referred to as the ‘Horse-Trading Chamber of India,’" she remarked.

She further commented that the Rajya Sabha, previously recognized for its notable members and their intellectual contributions, has devolved into a space dominated by political maneuvering.

"This Rajya Sabha, which once boasted of illustrious individuals, where members grasped the essence and obligations of our nation, made pivotal policy decisions, and where thinkers and intellectuals directed the country, has now sunk to a disgraceful level," she noted.

Chaturvedi accused the member election process of being heavily swayed by financial influences and pressures on legislators. "Today, it has turned into a House of horse-trading, where the greed and pressure on MLAs dictate the allocation of seats," she asserted.

Expressing her distress regarding the political landscape, she added: "It is disgraceful that individuals are being bought. MLAs view themselves as commodities; if offered money, they swiftly change their allegiance to another party."

She emphasized the urgency of restoring the Upper House's dignity and credibility.

Her comments were made in light of the recently held biennial Rajya Sabha elections, which took place on Monday to fill 37 seats across 10 states. Several candidates were elected without opposition, while votes were cast for 11 seats, including five in Bihar, four in Odisha, and two in Haryana.

Among the notable winners was Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who secured a seat in the Upper House. The elections also witnessed challenges for Opposition parties in states like Odisha and Bihar, where candidates supported by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) benefited from cross-voting and the absence of certain legislators.

In various states, multiple leaders were elected unopposed. These included former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M. Thambidurai from the DMK and senior Congress leader and lawyer Abhishek Singhvi.

In West Bengal, four nominees from the Trinamool Congress -- Babul Supriyo, former state DGP Rajeev Kumar, senior Supreme Court lawyer Menaka Guruswamy, and actor Koel Mallick -- were elected without contest. Former BJP state President Rahul Sinha also secured a seat unopposed. Notably, Menaka Guruswamy is now recognized as India’s first openly queer Member of Parliament.

In Maharashtra, all seven candidates, including those from the ruling Mahayuti alliance and NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar, were elected without opposition. Similar patterns were observed in Telangana and Tamil Nadu, where several candidates secured seats uncontested.

In Himachal Pradesh, Congress candidate Anurag Sharma, a close associate of Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, won the election.