The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has recently announced its list of candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, scheduled for February 27. With a total of 56 seats up for contention across 15 states, the BJP’s nominations showcase a strategic reshuffling and a conscious effort to maintain a balance ahead of the electoral process.
One of the notable highlights of the nominations is the inclusion of RPN Singh, a former Congress stalwart who defected to the BJP in 2022. Singh has been nominated from Uttar Pradesh, which has the highest number of vacancies at 10 seats. The list of nominees from Uttar Pradesh also includes Sudhanshu Trivedi, Chaudhary Tejveer Singh, Sadhna Singh, Amarpal Maurya, Sangita Balwant, and Navin Jain. However, it is worth mentioning that prominent figures like Anil Jain, Anil Agrawal, and G V L Narasimha Rao are missing from the list of outgoing BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh.
The selection of candidates from Uttar Pradesh reflects a meticulous balance of castes, with representations from various communities including Kurmi, Brahmin, Nishad, Jain, Rajput, Maurya, and Jat. This strategic move by the BJP aims to ensure a diverse representation and appeal to a wider voter base.
In Bihar, where the BJP is allied with Nitish Kumar’s JDU, the nominations feature Dharmsheela Gupta and Bhim Singh. However, it is worth noting that Sushil Kumar Modi, a prominent BJP leader, is absent from the list. Modi extended his congratulations to the nominated leaders, indicating his support for the party’s decision.
Chhattisgarh witnesses the nomination of Raja Devendra Pratap Singh, hailing from the Gond royal family, replacing Saroj Pandey. In Haryana, former state chief Subhash Barala, a Jat, will represent the BJP, while in Karnataka, Narayana Krishanasa Bhandage will be the nominee. The BJP has also named Mahendra Bhatt for Uttarakhand and Samik Bhattacharya for Bengal. However, candidates from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra are yet to be announced.
It is worth mentioning that several Union ministers, including Mansukh Mandaviya and Parshottam Rupala from Gujarat, Dharmendra Pradhan and L Murugan from Madhya Pradesh, and Narayan Rane from Maharashtra, who are retiring, have not been renominated. This has fueled speculation about their potential candidacies in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
A total of 58 Rajya Sabha members, including eight Central Ministers, are set to retire by the first week of May. These retiring members belong to various political parties, including the BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress, Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Biju Janata Dal, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United), YSRCP, Shiv Sena, NCP, Telugu Desam Party, and Sikkim Democratic Front.
As the electoral landscape unfolds, the BJP’s nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections provide a glimpse into the party’s strategic calculations and its preparations for the upcoming polls. The inclusion of diverse candidates from different states reflects the BJP’s efforts to maintain a balanced representation and appeal to a wider voter base. The upcoming Rajya Sabha elections promise an intriguing political showdown in the weeks to come.