BJP Excludes Hardeep Puri and 7 MPs from Rajya Sabha Nominations in UP
In a surprising move, the BJP has dropped Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma from its Rajya Sabha nominations for Uttar Pradesh.
Eight new candidates nominated for Rajya Sabha, including two women.
BJP aims for balanced caste representation ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Polling for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh is scheduled for October 16.
In a significant political shift, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its list of nominees for the Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, omitting notable figures such as Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma. The decision, revealed on Monday, has raised eyebrows as the party has chosen to replace all outgoing MPs with eight new candidates, none of whom previously held a Rajya Sabha seat.
The new nominations include Dharampal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopi Krishna Pandey, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan, and Shruti Gangwar. This list reflects the BJP's strategy to enhance caste representation, featuring three candidates from the Other Backward Classes (OBC), two from Scheduled Castes, and three from the general category. The party's approach appears aimed at consolidating support ahead of the crucial 2027 Assembly elections.
Among the nominees, Prakash Pal, who leads the BJP's OBC Morcha in Uttar Pradesh, and Vidyasagar Sonkar, a Dalit leader with a history of political service, stand out. The inclusion of two women candidates, Priyanka Singh Rawat and Shruti Gangwar, marks a notable effort to promote female representation in politics. Rawat, a former MP, previously won her seat by a significant margin, while Gangwar, an IIT graduate, emphasizes the importance of women's involvement in policymaking.
The BJP's decision to nominate candidates from diverse backgrounds, including two Brahmins and one Thakur, indicates a calculated attempt to balance its electoral strategy. Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan, a senior party official, and Radhakant Ojha, a prominent advocate, are among those representing the upper-caste community. Gopi Krishna Pandey's experience in grassroots organizing further underscores the party's focus on strengthening its local presence.
As the BJP prepares for the upcoming polling on October 16, expectations are high for the party to secure a majority of the eight available seats, with the Samajwadi Party likely to claim the remaining two. The outcome of this election will be closely watched as it could set the tone for the political landscape in Uttar Pradesh leading up to the next Assembly elections.
