BJP's Rajya Sabha candidate list features RPN Singh, Sudhanshu Trivedi; emphasis on fresh faces
Elections for 56 Rajya Sabha seats spread across 15 states are scheduled to be held on February 27, and the last date for filing nominations is February 15.
FollowOn Sunday, the BJP announced its list of 14 candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, which includes notable figures like former Union minister RPN Singh and Sudhanshu Trivedi, the sole outgoing MP re-nominated by the party. Notably, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who presently represents Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha, and BJP chief spokesperson and media head Anil Baluni, the outgoing MP from Uttarakhand, have been substituted with new faces, indicating their potential candidacy in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Among the fresh names, Narayansa K Bhandage from Karnataka and Devendra Pratap Singh from Chhattisgarh stand out, despite being relatively lesser-known figures. Their selection underscores the BJP leadership's recognition of their years of dedicated service and commitment to the party's cause.
Singh hails from the erstwhile Gond royal family and is set to replace Saroj Pandey.
The fate of senior Bihar leader Sushil Kumar Modi remains uncertain as he was not among the candidates announced by the party.
With six vacancies in Bihar, both the ruling NDA and the opposition are poised to secure three seats each based on their current strengths. The JD(U), an ally of the BJP, is expected to nominate a candidate for one seat.
The BJP's candidates from the state include Dharmshila Gupta and Bhim Singh.
Interestingly, none of the Union ministers whose terms are concluding were included in the list, suggesting a strong likelihood of many of them contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
However, the party has not yet announced candidates, including those from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
Union ministers Mansukh Mandaviya and Parshottam Rupala from Gujarat, Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and L Murugan, both representing Madhya Pradesh, and Union minister Narayan Rane from Maharashtra are among those retiring from the House as members.
RPN Singh, hailing from the politically significant Krumi caste, previously belonged to the Congress before joining the BJP. He served as a minister in the Congress-led UPA government.
Subhash Barala, the former Haryana BJP president and a Jat, will represent the party from the state, while Samik Bhattacharya will be the candidate from West Bengal.
In addition to introducing new faces, many of whom have been actively involved in the party organization for a significant period, the BJP has carefully considered the caste dynamics in selecting its candidates.
The elections for 56 Rajya Sabha seats, spanning across 15 states, are slated for February 27, with the deadline for filing nominations set for February 15.
JP Nadda, the BJP president, whose term representing Himachal Pradesh is concluding, is notably absent from the list. Given the Congress' dominance in the state, the BJP faces challenges in securing his reelection. Sources suggest that Nadda might either contest the Lok Sabha polls or seek election to the Upper House from a different state.
With the exception of Sudhanshu Trivedi, none of the nine outgoing BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh, including Anil Jain, Anil Agrawal, and GVL Narasimha Rao, have been renominated.
Given the BJP's reduced strength compared to the previous assembly, it can ensure the victory of seven of its candidates for the 10 vacancies.
