BSP's Ramji Gautam files nomination papers for polls to 10 Rajya Sabha seats in UP

Lucknow: Despite not having the numbers to elect a member to the Upper House of Parliament, the BSP's Ramji Gautam on Monday filed his nomination papers for the upcoming biennial elections to 10 Rajya Sabha seats in the Uttar Pradesh, with the party hoping non-BJP parties will support it to secure victory. The last date for filing of nomination papers is October 27 and scrutiny will be take place on October 28. November 2 is the last date for withdrawal of names and polling, if required, will take place on November 9.

Gautam filed his papers in the presence of senior BSP leaders including Satish Chandra Misra and Lalji Verma, BSP sources said.

Samajwadi Party candidate Ram Gopal Yadav is the other person who has filed nomination till now.


The ruling BJP, having 304 members in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, is set to win eight to nine seats, and the main opposition Samajwadi Party with 48 MLAs will easily secure only one seat.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has 18 MLAs, the Apna Dal has nine, the Congress seven, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party four while five are Independents.

A senior BSP leader had said, "Parties like the Congress and the Bharatiya Samaj Party do not have the numbers and the Samajwadi Party too with its present strength is not in a position to get its second candidate elected.

"If all want to stop the BJP, they will support us though we have not yet had any discussion with them," he had said.

Among the 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh falling vacant on November 25, the BJP held three, Samajwadi Party four, Bahujan Samaj Party two and the Congress one.

The 10 retiring members are Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Arun Singh and Neeraj Shekhar of the BJP; Chandrapal Singh Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav, Ram Prakash Verma and Javed Ali Khan of the SP; Rajaram and Veer Singh of the BSP; and Panna Lal Punia of the Congress.