View of the Rajya Sabha
Credit: PTI Photo
Jaipur: Even as filing of nomination for Rajya Sabha Elections began on February 8, both BJP and Congress are yet to declare their candidates as there seems to be an ongoing consultation over the name of candidates.
The Election Commission has announced that 56 seats of Rajya Sabha from 15 states would go to polls on February 27. The term of office for 50 Rajya Sabha seats from 13 states concludes on April 2, while remaining six members from two states are due to retire on April 3. Rajasthan has three seats up for grabs.
As the term of office for a Rajya Sabha is 6 years, this time Congress’s Manmohan Singh and BJP’s Bhupendra Yadav’s terms would come to an end on April 3. One seat has become vacant after Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena resigned following his win in the Assembly elections.
BJP has two seats, where some names are doing the rounds although the final decision rests on the top two leaders in Delhi, say party sources.
Although names of two state leaders, former BJP state president Satish Poonia and former Opposition leader Rajendra Rathore are doing the rounds, it is unlikely they would be fielded for the Upper House. Poonia is likely to be fielded from Ajmer Lok Sabha seat while Rathore is likely to contest the Churu Vidhan Sabha seat, if vacated by the present BJP MLA, say party sources.
There are chances that BJP goes in for an OBC candidate and one from the Jat community. Names of Dr Alka Gujjar, national secretary, BJP and Kailash Choudhary, union minister and MP from Barmer are also doing the rounds. Gujjar is from OBC community while Choudhary is a Jat.
The OBC population in Rajasthan is over 50 per cent. At present the OBC quota in educational institutions and government jobs is 21 per cent. On the other hand, the most numerically dominant community in Rajasthan is the Jat community, forming at least 12 per cent of the population. Jats, except those from certain pockets, come under the OBC category.
It is BJP’s strategy to keep the caste arithmetic in their favour, so the choice of candidates is definitely going to depend on the caste calculations. While there is a Brahmin chief minister, one Rajput deputy CM and a Dalit deputy CM, the OBCs are now demanding their share in the pie. BJP is also considering fielding a local and national face for the Upper House. The national face may be a senior leader such as Om Mathur, as he needs to be rewarded for his role in the stupendous Chhattisgarh Assembly win.
With BJP having 115 seats in the Assembly, it is set to have two seats as it needs 51 votes to win, while Congress with 70 MLAs would have one seat. Members of Rajya Sabha are elected indirectly by the elected members of the legislative Assembly of the state. They are elected through a means of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.
In the Congress, the name of former party president Sonia Gandhi is doing the rounds as it is considered a safe seat. She may vacate her Lok Sabha Rae Bareli seat and opt for an Upper House entry. And also because Rajasthan is a prominent Hindi heartland state.
Bhanwar Jitendra Singh from Alwar and current general secretary AICC, who is also considered close to Rahul Gandhi, also stands a chance, if Sonia Gandhi contests a Lok Sabha seat.
Both parties would have to finalise their candidates by Feb 15 as it is the last date for filing nominations.