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BJP Names Eight New Faces for UP Rajya Sabha Polls in Major 2027 Strategy Shift
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News18•05-10-2026, 20:56
BJP Names Eight New Faces for UP Rajya Sabha Polls in Major 2027 Strategy Shift
- •The BJP has announced eight new candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, signaling a strategic focus ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls.
- •Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma have not been renominated, opening speculation about future ministerial and organisational reshuffles.
- •The candidate list emphasizes social engineering, featuring three OBC leaders, two Dalits, three general-category representatives, and two women.
- •Key organizational leaders like Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan, Prakash Pal, and Gopi Krishna Pandey have been elevated to bring state-level utility into Parliament.
- •The selections aim to counter the opposition's PDA strategy by reinforcing the BJP's non-Yadav OBC and Dalit support base across Uttar Pradesh.
Key Questions Answered
The BJP announced Dharampal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopi Krishna Pandey, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan, and Shruti Gangwar as its eight candidates for the October 16 Rajya Sabha election.
Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma, whose Rajya Sabha terms are ending, were not renominated by the party for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections.
Each winning candidate in the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha election requires 37 first-preference votes based on the current assembly strength and vacancy figures.
