The party has also nominated Shivesh Kumar, a Scheduled Caste leader from Bihar and a former MLA who has been associated with the party for a long time.
RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha has been renominated as NDA candidate for the Rajya Sabha. Kushwaha’s term was ending in April and BJP has promised to send him again during the last year assembly polls.
Ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections, the BJP has fielded former state president Rahul Sinha as its Rajya Sabha candidate. Similarly, state vice-president and senior leader Laxmi Verma has been nominated from Chhattisgarh.
In Odisha, the BJP has nominated state party president Manmohan Samal, a prominent OBC face under whose leadership the party formed the government in the state for the first time on its own. Samal had lost the 2024 assembly election. The party has also renominated Sujit Kumar, who joined the BJP from the BJD in December 2024.
From Haryana, the BJP has announced the name of Sanjay Bhatia for the Rajya Sabha. Bhatia is also in the race to become the next state president. However, with his Rajya Sabha nomination, the party may consider other names for the state president’s post.
Assam PWD minister Jogen Mohan and MLA Terash Gowalla have also been nominated for the Rajya Sabha polls. Mohan belongs to the Ahom community, while Gowalla represents the tea tribe community.Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We have asked all MLAs to reach Guwahati on Wednesday, and we will file nominations on Thursday.” He added, “We do not have the numbers for the third seat and have asked UPPL to field a candidate for it.”
The last date for filing nominations is March 5, and polling, if required, will be held on March 16. The BJP is yet to announce candidates for the seats falling vacant in Maharashtra, and the list is likely to be released late Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.
