The Samajwadi Party on Tuesday announced Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhananjay Parimal Nathwani as its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, with both nominees set to file their nominations on Wednesday in the presence of party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
"Party candidates Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani will be filing nominations today in the presence of party president Akhilesh Yadav," the SP said on X.
The elections have been necessitated due to the expiry of the terms of nine Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh, including Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma, BJP leaders Arun Singh, Geeta Shakya, Neeraj Shekhar, Brijlal and Seema Dwivedi, SP's Ram Gopal Yadav and BSP's Ramji Gautam, on November 25.
Puri and Verma will have to secure re-election to continue as Union ministers.
The 10th seat fell vacant after former deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma resigned from the Upper House following his appointment as Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Based on the current strength of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the BJP-led alliance is in a position to win eight seats, while the SP, with Congress support, can secure two, according to an analysis of the numbers.
A contest could arise if more candidates are fielded than the available seats, with cross-voting potentially becoming a factor.
According to the Election Commission schedule, October 6 is the last date for filing nominations. Scrutiny will be held on October 7 and candidates can withdraw their nominations till October 9.
Polling will be held from 9 am to 4 pm on October 16, followed by counting of votes on the same day.
In the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections, all eight BJP candidates and SP's two candidates, Jaya Bachchan and Ramji Lal Suman, won in Uttar Pradesh.
The SP had fielded former Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Alok Ranjan as its third candidate, but he lost.
(With inputs from PTI)
