The BJP has announced eight candidates for the October 16 Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, choosing new nominees while not renominating outgoing MPs including Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma.

The BJP's Central Election Committee has approved eight nominees for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats going to polls from Uttar Pradesh.

The candidates are:

  • Dharampal Singh
  • Radhakant Ojha
  • Prakash Pal
  • Vidyasagar Sonkar
  • Gopi Krishna Pandey
  • Priyanka Singh Rawat
  • Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan
  • Shruti Gangwar

The list includes two women, Priyanka Singh Rawat and Shruti Gangwar. It also includes leaders with experience in the Uttar Pradesh government, the BJP's state organisation and electoral politics.

Hardeep Puri and BL Verma not renominated

The BJP has not included Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri or BL Verma among its eight nominees from Uttar Pradesh.

Puri is the Union petroleum and natural gas minister, while Verma is also a Union minister. Their current Rajya Sabha terms are due to end on November 25.

Other outgoing BJP members from Uttar Pradesh whose names do not figure in the new list include Arun Singh, Geeta Shakya, Neeraj Shekhar, Brij Lal and Seema Dwivedi.

The change means none of the BJP's current Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh have been renominated for the eight seats the party is contesting.

Who are the new nominees?

Dharampal Singh is a Cabinet minister in the Uttar Pradesh government and an MLA from Aonla. He handles the animal husbandry and dairy development portfolios.

Radhakant Ojha is a senior advocate associated with the Allahabad High Court and a former president of the Allahabad High Court Bar Association.

Prakash Pal heads the BJP's Uttar Pradesh OBC Morcha and has held organisational responsibilities within the state unit.

Vidyasagar Sonkar is a former Lok Sabha member and has held organisational positions in the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

Gopi Krishna Pandey is a BJP organisational leader associated with the party's Kisan Morcha.

Priyanka Singh Rawat is a former Lok Sabha MP from Barabanki and is associated with the BJP's Uttar Pradesh organisation.

Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan is a BJP state general secretary and has previously served as an MLA from Etmadpur in Agra.

Shruti Gangwar is a BJP leader from the Bareilly region and the daughter of Santosh Gangwar, the Governor of Jharkhand.

BJP sources said the list was finalised with social, regional and caste representation in mind.

According to the party's description, the eight nominees include three OBC candidates, two Scheduled Caste candidates and three from the general category. Two of the candidates are women.

The selection comes ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, giving the composition of the list added political significance. However, the BJP has not publicly described the nominations solely in electoral terms.

Why 10 UP seats are being contested

Uttar Pradesh has 10 Rajya Sabha seats in the current election cycle.

Nine seats are falling vacant as the terms of sitting members end on November 25. The 10th seat became vacant after former Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma resigned from the Rajya Sabha on September 11 following his appointment as Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Of the 10 seats, eight had been held by BJP members, while the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party each held one.

The BJP has now announced eight candidates for its side of the contest.

The Samajwadi Party has already nominated its national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav and Reliance Industries executive and sports administrator Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani.

The final outcome will depend on the strength of parties and alliances in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, as Rajya Sabha members from states are elected by elected MLAs through proportional representation using the single transferable vote system.

Polling for the Uttar Pradesh seats will take place on October 16.

The wider election covers 12 seats across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal: 10 seats from Uttar Pradesh, one from Uttarakhand and a bypoll for one seat from West Bengal.

The nomination process is scheduled to conclude on October 6, followed by scrutiny on October 7. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until October 9. Polling and counting are scheduled for October 16.