BJP fields 2 SC leaders, 2 from Backward Class from MP as RS poll candidates; Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav from Odisha

Bhopal: The BJP on Wednesday announced five names as their candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections which includes four from MP and one from Odisha. Union minister Dr L Murugan (Tamil Nadu) will be BJP candidate from MP while another Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav from Odisha quota. The other three names from MP quota are, Umesh Nath Maharaj, Maya Naroliya and Bansilal Gurjar.

Interestingly, sitting members Dharmendra Pradhan, Ajay Pratap Singh and Kailash Soni are not among the Rajya Sabha candidates BJP is fielding from Madhya Pradesh.

The present term of five RS members (four of BJP and one congress) Dharmendra Pradhan, Dr L Murugan, Ajay Pratap Singh and Kailash Soni of BJP and Rajmani Patel of Congress will end on April 2, 2024.

In MP, there are 11 seats for Rajya Sabha and according to assembly members, eight seats are with the BJP while remaining three is being represented by the Congress.

According to the electoral college representation formula (based on state assembly strength), the BJP enjoys lion share.

Meanwhile Congress also surprised observers by announcing the name of Ashok Singh as its RS candidate from MP.

Speculations were rife till this morning that senior congress leader from AP, Meenakshi Natrajan, would likely be the Congress candidate from MP. Even former CM Kamal Nath's name for Rajya Sabha was also doing the rounds.

Ashok Singh is the state party treasure and considered as close to former CM Digvijay Singh. Earlier, Singh lost two LS elections with narrow margins (approx. 35 thousand votes) while fielded against Yadhodhara Raje and Narendra Singh Tomar from Gwalior Lok Sabha seat.

The last date for filing nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections is 15th February.

BJP, the party now accustomed to springing surprises in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls, did not prove observers wrong who had refused to make concrete predictions on BJP's RS candidates.

Even the senior party leaders believe that decisions by the central party’s leadership are 'unpredictable'. In the party headquarters today, BJP MLA Bhagwandas Sabnani (Bhopal) while discussing the record, said earlier nobody had predicted that Dr Mohan Yadav will be the new CM of state, so the only thing to do was wait and watch the developments.

Of the four candidates from MP, two are from SC category while another two from Backward Class category. Umesh Nath Maharaj made his mark while working tirelessly for upliftment of Valmiki community.

Union minister L Murugan (Tamil Nadu) has been fielded as RS members with the objective to bridge the gap further the party's image building in South.

Bansilal Gurjar has been rewarded for his commitment at grassroot level and strengthening the party at organisational level while working as state general secretary.

The party’s women cell state president Maya Narolia is expected to work towards women empowerment. State president VD Sharma, while welcoming the decision, expressed gratitude to PM Narendra Modi, union minister Amit Shah and party’s national president JP Nadda.