LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday named Reliance Industries Group President Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh, in a surprise move that puts the son of an NDA-backed Rajya Sabha MP on a parliamentary path through one of the BJP's principal opponents in the state.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accompanied Dhanraj Nathwani to file his nomination in Lucknow, along with party national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, who has been nominated for another term in the Upper House. At the Election Commission office, Akhilesh held Nathwani's hand and escorted him to his chair before congratulating him after the nomination.
The nomination comes after Akhilesh had indicated that the party would field a "surprise" candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections.
Dhanraj's father, Parimal Nathwani, is Reliance Industries' director-corporate affairs and a fourth-term Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand, having returned to the Upper House in June as an NDA-backed Independent. His first two terms were also from Jharkhand, while he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh by the YSR Congress Party in 2020.
Dhanraj thanked Akhilesh in a post on X after filing his nomination.
"I extend my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to the Honorable National President, Shri Akhilesh Yadav ji, for nominating me as the Samajwadi Party candidate for the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. Today, in the presence of Honorable Akhilesh Yadav ji in Lucknow, I filed my nomination for the Rajya Sabha, marking a new phase in my public life," he said.
The SP's decision drew criticism from senior Congress spokesperson CP Rai.
"It would have been better if the SP chief had fielded a party worker for the Rajya Sabha. He is concerned about the wealthy, not the interests of the people," Rai said.
Elections to 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh are scheduled for October 16. Based on the current strength of the state Assembly, the BJP-led NDA is set to win eight seats and the SP two.
However, highly placed sources told TNIE that Akhilesh is preparing to field candidates for three seats, with the identity of the third candidate still being kept under wraps.
The Uttar Pradesh Assembly has 403 seats, of which seven are currently vacant, leaving 396 sitting MLAs. For the election to 10 Rajya Sabha seats, a candidate will require 37 first-preference votes under the applicable formula.
The SP currently has 100 MLAs. With party MLA Ramakant Yadav in jail, its effective strength is 99, meaning the party would require at least 12 additional votes to get a third candidate elected if it decides to field one.
Dhanraj, a close associate of Reliance chairperson Mukesh Ambani, has been associated with the group's Jamnagar and Vadodara manufacturing divisions and is also a director at Reliance New Energy Limited.
He has strategic oversight of Reliance's Jamnagar manufacturing divisions and the Jio business in Gujarat, with responsibilities spanning finance and accounts, procurement and contracts, information technology and corporate affairs. He is also a board member of Reliance Corporate IT Park Limited, which handles IT infrastructure, digital platforms, data services and real estate support functions for the Reliance Group.
He leads Reliance's Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) vertical and supervises construction and infrastructure projects across the group. He also oversees Reliance Jio Defence System Limited, which focuses on high-tech manufacturing of military equipment and aerospace propulsion systems.
Beyond his corporate responsibilities, Nathwani has a prominent role in sports administration. He has been president of the Gujarat Cricket Association since 2022, when he was elected unopposed, succeeding Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He is also associated with football administration in Gujarat.
Dhanraj is a sports enthusiast and animal lover and is involved in wildlife conservation. He is a member of the Gujarat State Board for Wildlife and the Nathdwara Temple Board, and is vice-chairman of the Dwarkadhish Temple in Dwarka, Gujarat.
He is also associated with the boards of Pandit Dindayal Energy University, Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI), GLS University and the Gujarat Ecological Education & Research Foundation. He is a member of the executive committee of the Gujarat State Lion Conservation Society and has been associated with wildlife conservation initiatives involving Gir lions.
His father Parimal Nathwani's political journey has crossed party lines and states over nearly two decades. He first entered the Rajya Sabha as an Independent from Jharkhand in 2008 and secured a second term in 2014 with the support of the BJP and the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU).
Ahead of the 2014 Jharkhand Assembly elections, Parimal's intervention reportedly helped bring the BJP and AJSU to the negotiating table for an alliance. The alliance won 42 of the 81 Assembly seats, with the BJP winning 37 and AJSU five, and BJP leader Raghubar Das becoming chief minister.
In 2020, Parimal's route to a third Rajya Sabha term ran through Andhra Pradesh, where the then ruling YSR Congress Party nominated him to the Upper House.
The nomination followed a February 29, 2020 meeting between Mukesh Ambani and then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. Ambani was accompanied by his son Anant and Parimal Nathwani. After filing his nomination the following month, Parimal told reporters that Ambani had discussed pending projects with the chief minister.
Six years later, Parimal returned to Jharkhand as an NDA-backed Independent. His victory in June came amid cross-voting from the ruling JMM-led coalition, defeating Congress nominee Pranav Jha despite the alliance appearing to have sufficient numbers to win the seat.
The younger Nathwani's nomination also comes days after the BJP and Congress traded barbs over the absence of Mukesh Ambani's photograph from a presentation displayed at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's press conference on the Election Commission.
At the "Chhatron Ki Goonj" programme in Indore on September 19, Gandhi named Ambani among six people he alleged were running the country's "system", alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and industrialist Gautam Adani.
At his September 24 press conference in Delhi, the photographs displayed as alleged "conspirators" included Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar alongside Modi, Shah, Bhagwat, Doval and Adani. Ambani's photograph was absent.
"What transpired between Indore & Delhi for omissions & additions ….!!!??? Can some genius minds shed light …??" BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh had posted on X on September 25.
Congress leader Pawan Khera responded: "Why are you upset? You figure in both - of course as a pawn!"
(With inputs from PTI)