BJP releases list of nine Rajya Sabha candidates

New Delhi: Of the 55 Rajya Sabha seats that will go for elections on March 26, the BJP on Wednesday released a list of nine candidates for eight states and left two seats for allies—one each in Maharashtra and Assam.

The last date of filing the nomination is March 13. Apart from Jyotiraditya Scindia from Madhya Pradesh, the party also announced candidates from Bihar, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Assam, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Manipur. In Bihar, the party has named Vivek Thakur, son of former Union minister C P Thakur. Considering the upcoming assembly elections, the party has named Thakur, a Bhumihar from Bihar. In Jharkhand, the party has named its recently elected state president Deepak Prakash.

From Gujarat, party has named Ramilaben Bara and Abhay Bhardwaj. Ramilaben had lost the assembly elections from Khedbrahma assembly constituency in 2017. Bhardwaj was the defence lawyer in Gulbraga Society case. In Maharashtra, the party has named Udyanraje Bhosale. For another seat in Maharashtra, BJP ally RPI leader Ramdas Athawale has been fielded.


From Rajasthan, party has named its state vice-president Rajendra Gehlot. In Assam, the party has re-nominated Bhubaneswar Kalita, who hand quit Congress last year. The second seat has gone to Biswajit Daimary from ally Bodoland People’s Front .In Manipur, the party has named Leisemba Maharaja.