BJP names eight Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha candidates

The Bharatiya Janata Party announced eight candidates for Uttar Pradesh’s Rajya Sabha election on October 5, leaving out sitting members Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma, whose terms are due to end in November. The list names Dharampal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopi Krishna Pandey, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan and Shruti Gangwar. The announcement sets out the BJP’s choices for the state’s biennial contest, which covers 10 Rajya Sabha seats. The party’s list includes two women, Priyanka Singh Rawat and Shruti Gangwar. The reports do not provide an official explanation for the selection or for the omission of Puri and Verma. The Election Commission of India’s schedule, as reported, sets October 6 as the deadline for filing nominations. Papers are to be scrutinised on October 7, with withdrawals closing on October 9. Polling is scheduled for October 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and counting is set for the same day. The final candidate field may change during the nomination process. The Uttar Pradesh seats are among 12 Rajya Sabha contests scheduled for October 16 across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.