States » NorthPosted at: Oct 5 2026 3:03PM


RS Elections: BJP will release UP candidates list by tonight

Lucknow, Oct 5 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to announce its candidates on Monday for the biennial elections to the 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh, scheduled for October 16.
A high-level meeting between Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP national General Secretary BL Santosh was held at the CM residence on Monday morning to finalise the names.
As tomorrow is the last date for filing nominations for Rajya Sabha polls, the candidates' names will be announced so that they can file their nominations on the last date.
Based on its numerical strength in the Assembly, the BJP is expected to win eight seats, while the Samajwadi Party (SP), with 101 MLAs in the 403-member Assembly, is poised to win two.
The SP has nominated former Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav and senior Reliance Industries Limited executive Dhanraj Piramal Nathwani.
The party has also hinted at staking a claim for a third seat, sparking political speculation about potential cross-voting.
The BJP is currently deliberating on caste, women, and regional factors when selecting candidates. According to a senior party leader, at least three women are likely to be nominated.
The Rajya Sabha terms of union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma expire in November, and both are likely to seek a second term from Uttar Pradesh.
Among the BJP's potential contenders are Smriti Irani and Harish Dwivedi, who were appointed national general secretaries in August, as well as state leaders Subrata Pathak, Ramapati Ram Tripathi, and Durvijay Shakya.
However, no names have been officially confirmed by the party yet.
With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled for next year, the selection of Rajya Sabha candidates is being closely linked to the caste and social dynamics of the upcoming elections.
There is also a belief within the party that the BJP may signal its political balance among various social classes through the list of candidates.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma resigned from the Rajya Sabha on September 11. He has been appointed Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Additionally, the terms of Arun Singh, Geeta alias Chandraprabha, Neeraj Shekhar, Brijlal, BL Verma, Seema Dwivedi, and Hardeep Singh Puri expire in November. The term of Ramji Gautam of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is also ending.
Due to no MLAs in the Assembly, the BSP is unlikely to win any Rajya Sabha seats this time. This will be the first time since 1994 that the BSP will be without representation in the Rajya Sabha.
The BJP, the largest party in the Rajya Sabha with 116 members, is expected to gain another seat after these elections. A by-election will also be held for a seat in Uttarakhand, where the BJP candidate is considered almost certain to win.
A by-election is also scheduled for a Rajya Sabha seat in West Bengal. Following these elections, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance is expected to increase its strength to 154 in the 245-member Rajya Sabha. UNI MBD SAS
Tags: #RS Elections: BJP will release UP candidates list by tonight
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