New Delhi, Jun 4 (IANS): The Congress Friday announced six names for the upcoming elections to the Rajya Sabha, with Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni amongst those being renominated.

A Congress statement said party president Sonia Gandhi had also nominated Mohsina Kidwai from Chhattisgarh, Dhiraj Prasad Sahu from Jharkhand, E.M.S. Natchiappan from Tamil Nadu and Vijay J. Darda and Avinash Pande from Maharashtra.

Besides Soni, who represents Punjab, Mohsina Kidwai, Darda and Natchippan have also been renominated by the party.

The Congress is yet to announce its candidates from some states including Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan where elections are being held to fill vacant Rajya Sabha seats.

The Election Commission had May 6 announced biennial election to 12 states -- Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra. The last date of filing nominations is June 7.

Congress sources said that the party is not likely to support any candidate in Bihar where it has 10 legislators.

In Andhra Pradesh, where Friday is the last date of filing nominations, the Congress has announced four candidates.

The party is yet to announce the nomination of union commerce minister Anand Sharma, whose term as a member of Rajya Sabha from Himachal Pradesh ended April.