Samajwadi Party names two candidates for Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha polls

India’s Samajwadi Party has named Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani as its candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. The party said both candidates would file their nominations on Wednesday in the presence of party president Akhilesh Yadav. The election has been necessitated by the expiry of the terms of nine Uttar Pradesh members on November 25.

Those whose terms are ending include 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. Puri and Verma will need re-election to remain ministers. A 10th seat became vacant after former Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma resigned from the Upper House following his appointment as Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Based on the current strength of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the BJP-led alliance is positioned to win eight seats. The SP, with Congress support, is expected to secure two seats. The numbers could produce a contest if more candidates are nominated than there are available seats, with cross-voting becoming a possible factor.

The Election Commission schedule sets October 6 as the final date for nominations. Scrutiny will take place on October 7, and candidates may withdraw until October 9. Polling is scheduled from 9am to 4pm on October 16, followed by counting the same day.

In the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections, eight BJP candidates and two SP candidates, Jaya Bachchan and Ramji Lal Suman, won in Uttar Pradesh. The SP’s additional candidate, former state chief secretary Alok Ranjan, lost.