NEW DELHI/LUCKNOW: The NDA helped send senior Reliance executive Parimal Nathwani back to the Rajya Sabha in June. On Wednesday, the Samajwadi Party chose his son Dhanraj Nathwani for a seat from Uttar Pradesh, extending the family’s parliamentary journey across states and rival political camps.
A group president at Reliance Industries and president of the Gujarat Cricket Association, Dhanraj was named alongside veteran leader Ram Gopal Yadav as the SP's candidate for the Upper House.
Elections to 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh will be held on October 16, ahead of the state assembly polls due next year. Based on the present assembly arithmetic, the BJP-led alliance is expected to win eight seats and the Samajwadi Party two.
Dhanraj, whose corporate responsibilities span several Reliance businesses, including overseeing the Jamnagar manufacturing divisions, filed his nomination in Lucknow in the presence of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.
“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 posted on X.
Dhanraj also oversees the Jamnagar manufacturing divisions and exercises strategic oversight over the Jio business in Gujarat. Besides, he leads the engineering, procurement and construction vertical and oversees Reliance Jio Defence System Limited.
He serves as vice chairperson of the Dwarkadhish Temple Administrative Committee and holds memberships of the Nathdwara Temple Board, and the Gujarat State Board for Wildlife.
While Nathwani senior, Reliance Industries’ director-corporate affairs, secured a fourth consecutive Rajya Sabha term with BJP-led NDA backing, son Dhanraj is seeking entry through one of the BJP’s principal opponents in Uttar Pradesh.
"We surprised you, didn't we? Wait for more such surprises," a senior SP leader said when asked about the party's decision to field Dhanraj.
Parimal first entered the Rajya Sabha as an Independent from Jharkhand in 2008. He secured a second term in 2014 with support from the BJP and the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU).
His role in Jharkhand politics extended beyond his own candidature. Ahead of the 2014 Jharkhand assembly elections, his intervention reportedly helped bring the BJP and the AJSU to the negotiating table for an alliance. The alliance won 42 of the 81 seats, with the BJP securing 37 and the AJSU five, and BJP leader Raghubar Das became chief minister.
In 2020, his route to a third term ran through Andhra Pradesh, where the then ruling YSR Congress Party nominated him to the Upper House.
The nomination followed a meeting on February 29, 2020, between Reliance chairperson Mukesh Ambani and then Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. In the meeting, Ambani was accompanied by his son Anant, and Parimal. 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.
Dhanraj's nomination comes days after the BJP and Congress exchanged barbs over the absence of 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) B L Santhosh posted on X on September 25.
Congress leader Pawan Khera responded: “Why are you upset? You figure in both - of course as a pawn!”
The Nathwani family also has a deep association with the cricket administration in Gujarat.
Dhanraj was elected president of the Gujarat Cricket Association in November 2022, succeeding Amit Shah. Modi had headed the association before Shah.
Parimal served as its vice president. The association’s official account credits him, Amit Shah and his son Jay Shah with executing the Narendra Modi Stadium project.
Dhanraj is also a member of the board of governors of the Pandit Dindayal Energy University and is associated with the Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute.
"His corporate responsibilities and institutional roles have given him experience across business, infrastructure, sports and public institutions. His nomination by the Samajwadi Party now brings that experience into the political arena, with Uttar Pradesh becoming the focus of his proposed parliamentary role," a senior party leader said.