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New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced eight candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, scheduled to be held on October 16, with the party dropping all its sitting MPs from the list, including Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma.
The decision not to renominate Puri has come as a surprise, particularly amid speculation that the Union Petroleum Minister would return to the Upper House. His exclusion also puts an end to weeks of speculation over his candidature.
Another prominent name missing from the list is former Union minister Smriti Irani, whose possible nomination had also been widely discussed in political circles. Notably, There are 10 vacancies from the state, with the BJP poised to win eight comfortably.
The BJP has named Dharampal Singh, an OBC leader and minister in the Uttar Pradesh government, among its candidates. The list also includes Radhakant Ojha, who heads the Bar Council in Allahabad, along with Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopi Krishna Pandey and Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan.
The party has also given representation to women, with former MP Priyanka Singh Rawat and Shruti Gangwar featuring among the eight candidates. Shruti Gangwar is the daughter of Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar. The inclusion of two women is being seen as part of the BJP’s broader emphasis on women’s political representation and its attempt to project the party as one that seeks to provide women with active roles in electoral politics.
The BJP’s decision to field eight candidates for 10 vacant Rajya Sabha seats will be closely watched as political parties prepare for the October 16 contest. The nominations are also significant in the context of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with caste and regional representation expected to play an important role in the party’s political strategy.
The BJP’s candidate selection indicates a fresh approach to the Upper House, with the party opting not to rely on sitting MPs and instead bringing in a mix of organisational leaders, state-level political figures and representatives of different social groups.