BJP Unveils Rajya Sabha Candidates Across 5 States Ahead Of June 18 Polls, Sets Stage For Key Upper House Battle

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday released its list of candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for June 18. The announcement covers seats in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, as the party gears up for an important round of Upper House polls. The list includes several senior leaders and fresh faces expected to strengthen the party’s representation in the Rajya Sabha. The BJP has nominated senior party leader Tarun Chugh from Madhya Pradesh and former Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia from Rajasthan.

The party also fielded Rajneesh Agrawal from Madhya Pradesh and Alka Gurjar from Rajasthan for the upcoming elections.

BJP finalises Gujarat Candidates

For Gujarat, the BJP has named 4 candidates for the Rajya Sabha race. The party’s nominees are Rajubhai Shukla, Mukeshbhai Rathwa, Mansingh Parmar and Jitendra Meghjibhai Kanzariya. The state remains a key stronghold for the BJP, making the Rajya Sabha elections strategically significant.

Candidates Announced For Northeast Seats

The BJP has selected A Sharda Devi from Manipur and Tai Tagak from Arunachal Pradesh for the Upper House elections. The nominations reflect the party’s continued focus on strengthening its political footprint across the northeastern states.

For the Rajya Sabha bypoll in Odisha, the BJP has nominated Debashish Samantaray, who recently joined the party after resigning from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

Previously, Samantaray represented Odisha in the Rajya Sabha before stepping down from the Upper House.

Union Ministers Absent From Candidate List

Notably, Union ministers Ravneet Singh Bittu and George Kurian did not feature in the latest list of nominees. Bittu currently represents Rajasthan in the Rajya Sabha, while Kurian is a Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh.

Polling Scheduled For June 18

Rajya Sabha elections will be held on June 18 across 10 states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. The Odisha Rajya Sabha bypoll is also scheduled to take place on the same day. The elections are expected to play a significant role in shaping the numerical strength of political parties in the Upper House.

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