BJP Releases First List Of Nine Candidates For Rajya Sabha Biennial Elections

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday published its maiden list of nominees for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha biennial elections, selecting nine individuals from six states.

The party’s Central Election Committee confirmed the decisions through a formal communication issued from its headquarters in New Delhi.

In Bihar, the party fielded Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar. Assam will see Terash Gowalla and Jogen Mohan contesting on the BJP ticket, while Laxmi Verma has been nominated from Chhattisgarh. Sanjay Bhatia will represent Haryana.

From Odisha, the party has chosen Manmohan Samal and Sujeet Kumar, and Rahul Sinha has been named from West Bengal.

The All India Trinamool Congress unveiled four contenders for the Upper House. The nominees are Babul Supriyo, Rajeev Kumar, Menaka Guruswamy and Koel Mallick.

Babul Supriyo previously served as a Union Minister. He later joined the Trinamool Congress and now handles the Information Technology and Electronics portfolio in the West Bengal government.

Rajeev Kumar previously headed the state police as Director General. Menaka Guruswamy is noted for her expertise in constitutional litigation, while Koel Mallick enjoys prominence in the Bengali cinema industry.

Separately, Naveen Patnaik leads the Biju Janata Dal and serves as the Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly. He announced Dr Santrupt Misra and Dr Datteswar Hota as the party’s nominees for the Rajya Sabha elections.

He urged broad political backing for Hota, highlighting his contributions to medical education and public service.

Election Schedule and Key Dates

The Election Commission of India has fixed March 16 as the polling day, with vote counting scheduled for 5 PM on the same date. The election process will formally conclude by March 20.

A total of 37 seats across 10 states — including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Telangana — will be filled, as the current members’ terms are set to expire in April 2026.

The notification to begin the election process was issued on February 26. The last date for filing nominations is March 5, scrutiny will take place on March 6, and candidates may withdraw their names until March 9.

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