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BJP Drops Hardeep Puri and Outgoing MPs in UP Rajya Sabha Shake-Up
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CNBC TV18•05-10-2026, 18:55
BJP Drops Hardeep Puri and Outgoing MPs in UP Rajya Sabha Shake-Up
- •The BJP announced eight candidates for the upcoming October 16 Rajya Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh.
- •Prominent outgoing MPs including Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and B L Verma were dropped from the list.
- •New nominees include Dharampal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopi Krishna Pandey, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan and Shruti Gangwar.
- •The list balances social representation for OBC, Dalit and upper-caste leaders ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
- •Elections for 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh will be held on October 16, with the BJP expected to comfortably win eight seats.
Key Questions Answered
The BJP has named eight candidates for the October 16 Rajya Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh: Dharampal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopi Krishna Pandey, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan, and Shruti Gangwar.
The BJP dropped all its outgoing MPs from Uttar Pradesh, including Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State B L Verma, Arun Singh, Neeraj Shekhar, Brij Lal, Geeta Shakya, and Seema Dwivedi.
The biennial Rajya Sabha elections are scheduled for October 16. Out of the 12 total vacancies across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh accounts for 10 seats, where the BJP is expected to win eight and the Samajwadi Party two.
