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The BJP’s latest Uttar Pradesh candidate list brings the Rajya Sabha contest into sharper political focus. (Img: X)
Lucknow: The Bharatiya janata Party (BJP) on Monday announced eight candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh, ending days of speculation over its final picks ahead of the October 16 polling.
The Central Election Committee of the party approved the names of Dharampal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopi Krishna Pandey, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan and Shruti Gangwar for 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh going to polls later this month.
The outcome of the election will largely be determined by the strength of political parties in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
One of the biggest talking points surrounding the BJP’s announcement is the absence of Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma from the Uttar Pradesh candidate list.
Both names had figured prominently in speculation over the BJP’s possible nominees. Their exclusion from the final list has therefore added another layer of political interest to the announcement.
The BJP’s decision also highlights the importance of regional and organisational considerations as the party prepares for the larger political battle in Uttar Pradesh.
The Rajya Sabha election comes months before the crucial Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled for 2027, making the candidate selection politically significant beyond Parliament.
Based on the current strength of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the BJP-led alliance is positioned to secure eight of the 10 Rajya Sabha seats, while the Samajwadi Party is expected to win two.
The SP has already fielded Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani. With the BJP expected to retain a strong advantage, attention is now shifting towards the political and social calculations behind its eight nominees.
The election process has now entered its final phase. October 6 is the last date for filing nominations, followed by scrutiny of nomination papers on October 7. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until October 9.
Polling will take place on October 16 from 9 am to 4 pm, with counting scheduled to begin at 5 pm.
Rajya Sabha elections are indirect elections in which elected MLAs vote through proportional representation using the single transferable vote system.
The Uttar Pradesh announcement follows another significant BJP decision made a day earlier.
The party named Dinesh Arya as its candidate from Uttarakhand for the Rajya Sabha election. Arya has been associated with the BJP’s organisational structure and has links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
He is also serving as vice-chairperson of the state Water Resources Management and Regulatory Commission, a position reported to carry Cabinet-level status. The Uttarakhand contest follows the end of BJP Rajya Sabha member Naresh Bansal’s term.
The BJP has also nominated Rukmini Mallick, popularly known as Koel Mallick, for the Rajya Sabha bypoll in West Bengal. The bypoll was necessitated after Mallick resigned from her Rajya Sabha seat on July 16 and subsequently moved from the Trinamool Congress to the BJP.
The latest candidate announcements mean the October 16 electoral exercise will cover 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, one seat in Uttarakhand and a separate bypoll for one seat in West Bengal.
The BJP’s final Uttar Pradesh list has ended speculation over several names while simultaneously opening a new political conversation over the party’s strategy.
The decision to field eight candidates, along with the exclusion of names such as Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma, is likely to remain a key talking point as the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election approaches.
The selection also comes at a time when the BJP is intensifying its organisational preparations across the state and focusing on strengthening its political positioning ahead of the next Assembly battle. The October 16 polling will determine the new composition of the Rajya Sabha from the three states involved in the electoral exercise.
