Jaipur: The BJP Thursday announced the names of former Rajasthan BJP president and Haryana in-charge Satish Poonia, and party national secretary and Delhi co-in-charge, Alka Gurjar, as its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan.The elections are being held for three Rajya Sabha seats from the state, with voting scheduled for June 18 and counting to take place on the same day. The terms of Congress MP Neeraj Dangi and BJP functionaries Rajendra Gehlot and Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu are set to end on June 21, 2026.There was speculation that Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu might be renominated from Rajasthan. However, the party chose not to repeat him, a move that is being linked to the political significance of Punjab, where Assembly elections are due next year and where his political role is expected to be more crucial.Based on the current strength of parties in the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the BJP is expected to win two seats while the Congress is likely to secure one. A candidate requires 51 votes to win a Rajya Sabha seat, and the existing arithmetic favours the BJP winning only two of the three seats.Observers view the BJP’s choice of candidates as a strategic move aimed at consolidating two influential communities in Rajasthan. While Poonia is seen as a prominent Jat face, Alka Gurjar’s candidature is expected to strengthen the party’s outreach among Gurjar voters. The decision to field a woman candidate is also being interpreted as an attempt to underscore the party’s support for women’s representation following the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha. The bill proposed reservation for women in legislatures and an increase in the strength of the House to 850 members.Poonia currently serves as the BJP’s Haryana in-charge and has held several important organisational responsibilities within the party. A former state BJP president, he was assigned key responsibilities outside Rajasthan after losing the Assembly elections. Following his role in the Bihar elections, he was entrusted with the charge of Haryana, where the BJP returned to power in the Assembly polls.Gurjar, who is presently the BJP national secretary and Delhi co-in-charge, has also been associated with the organisation for a long time. She had previously served as an MLA, spokesperson, and vice-president of the BJP in Rajasthan. Her family has had longstanding ties with the BJP. Her husband, Nathu Singh Gurjar, served as a minister in a BJP govt and has held several senior positions within the party organisation.
