Nominations for Uttar Pradesh's 10 Rajya Sabha seats and 11 Legislative Council seats began on September 29, with polling scheduled for October 16 and October 23 respectively.
The BJP is yet to finalise its candidates, with several names under discussion following a meeting of its UP core committee chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The Samajwadi Party is considering candidates for the Rajya Sabha, including a possible third nominee, while party chief Akhilesh Yadav has called a meeting of MLAs to discuss the election strategy.
UP Rajya Sabha, MLC Polls: BJP, SP Weigh Candidates Ahead Of October Voting
Nomination for Uttar Pradesh's Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections began on September 29, with the BJP and Samajwadi Party still working on their candidate selections ahead of polling in October
Summary
The nomination process for the upcoming Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections in Uttar Pradesh began on Tuesday, with political parties finalising their candidates for the crucial contests ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
The Election Commission has scheduled elections for 10 Rajya Sabha seats and 11 Legislative Council seats in Uttar Pradesh. While voting for the Rajya Sabha seats will take place on October 16, polling for the MLC seats will be held on October 23. The last date for filing nominations for both elections is October 6, according to media reports.
BJP Yet To Finalise Candidate List
The BJP has not yet finalised its candidates for either the Rajya Sabha or Legislative Council polls. A party core committee meeting chaired by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday discussed several names, but no final decision was taken.
Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary and organisation general secretary Dharampal were among those present at the meeting, according to Navbharat Times.
The party is expected to hold another meeting before sending its candidate panels to the central leadership. Discussions have reportedly included preparing names based on caste and regional representation.
Among the names discussed for the Rajya Sabha are BJP national general secretary Smriti Irani and former MP Harish Dwivedi. The party is also considering retaining some sitting members whose terms are ending, including BL Verma, Hardeep Singh Puri, Neeraj Shekhar and Geeta Shakya. These names remain under discussion and have not been formally announced as candidates, reports said.
SP Considers Third Rajya Sabha Candidate
The Samajwadi Party is also working on its candidate strategy. According to Navbharat Times, Professor Ram Gopal Yadav and former Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Alok Ranjan are among the names being considered, while the party is also discussing whether to field a third candidate.
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SP president Akhilesh Yadav has called a meeting of party MLAs to discuss the nominations. Reports suggest the party could consider an extremely backward-class, Dalit or minority candidate for a possible third seat. However, the final candidate list has not been announced.
The Rajya Sabha contest will involve voting by MLAs. Uttar Pradesh has 10 seats up for election, with voting scheduled for October 16.
The separate MLC election covers five Graduates' constituencies and six Teachers' constituencies. The BJP-led NDA currently has 83 members in the 100-member Legislative Council, while the SP has 10 members. The SP needs to retain the required strength to continue holding the Leader of the Opposition post in the Council.
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