The BJP on Monday named two candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls in Rajasthan, excluding outgoing MP and Union minister Bhupender Yadav, who is likely to fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The BJP fielded former state minister Chunnilal Garasiya and former MLA Madan Rathore.
Garasiya, a tribal leader, is currently the state vice president of the BJP. Rathore was the deputy chief whip in the assembly during the previous BJP government led by Vasundhara Raje.
While the BJP is likely to get its two candidates elected to the Rajya Sabha from the state, the Congress has the numbers to win one seat.
The Congress has not yet declared a candidate.
The BJP has 115 and the Congress 70 members in the 200-member assembly.
The tenure of two Rajya Sabha members from Rajasthan — former prime minister Manmohan Singh (Congress) and Bhupender Yadav (BJP) — is ending on April 3. Election will also be held on one seat that fell vacant after BJP MP Kirodi Lal Meena resigned from Parliament in December following his election as an MLA.
Of the 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Rajasthan, the Congress currently has six members and the BJP three, while one seat is vacant.
Elections for 56 Rajya Sabha seats spread across 15 states are scheduled to be held on February 27, and the last date for filing nominations is February 15.
The BJP had on Sunday named 14 candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls, including former Union minister R P N Singh and Sudhanshu Trivedi – the only outgoing MP renominated by the party so far.
The party is yet to name many candidates including from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Union ministers Mansukh Mandaviya and Parshottam Rupala from Gujarat, Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and L Murugan, both of whom represent Madhya Pradesh, and Union minister Narayan Rane from Maharashtra are among those retiring from the House as members.
The BJP is likely to not name several of its ministers, whose term in Rajya Sabha is ending, as it may field them in the general elections, due in April-May.
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