BJP Likely to Announce Rajya Sabha Nominees for UP on Monday

New Delhi: The BJP is likely to announce its candidates on Monday for the October 16 biennial Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, a day before the nomination deadline.

The BJP is expected to comfortably win eight of the 10 seats from the state, while the Samajwadi Party (SP), with 101 MLAs in the 403-member Assembly, has the numbers to secure the remaining two.

The SP has nominated Ram Gopal Yadav and Reliance Industries executive Dhanraj Nathwani. The party has also hinted at attempting to win a third seat, fuelling speculation about possible cross-voting.

The terms of Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma, along with five other BJP MPs, are set to end in November. Both ministers are expected to be renominated from Uttar Pradesh.

Caste, gender and regional representation are likely to influence the BJP’s selection. The party is expected to field at least three women, with former Union minister Smriti Irani, Harish Dwivedi and state leaders Subrat Pathak, Ramapati Ram Tripathi and Durvijay Shakya among the names being discussed.

The election assumes significance as Uttar Pradesh heads for Assembly polls next year, with the BJP’s nominations likely to signal its approach to caste and gender equations.

Meanwhile, Dinesh Sharma’s Rajya Sabha seat fell vacant after his appointment as Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The term of BSP’s Ramji Gautam is also ending, and the party lacks the numbers to retain a Rajya Sabha seat. It will be the first time since 1994 that the BSP will have no representation in the Upper House.

The BJP, currently the largest party in the Rajya Sabha with 116 members, is also set to gain a seat through the UP polls. A separate by-election will be held for a Rajya Sabha seat in West Bengal, while the BJP is also expected to retain the Uttarakhand seat falling vacant after Naresh Bansal’s term ends on November 25.