BJP announces 9 names for RS polls; Nabin from Bihar

NEW new delhi: The Bharatiya Janata company (BJP) on tues proclaimed 9 candidates for the 2026 biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha across six states, setting the stage for the high-stakes polls later this month.At least three states — Maharashtra, Bihar and Odisha — are likely to see a contest.From Bihar, where five seats are falling vacant, the BJP nominated party chief Nitin Nabin and state leader Shivesh Kumar. Separately, a Janata Dal (United) minister said that chief minister Nitish Kumar’s son, Nishant Kumar, was set to enter politics“He will be given a bigger responsibility in the party. What responsibility he is going to get will be decided in a day or two,” said minister Sharwan Kumar. Asked if Nishant can be sent to the Rajya Sabha, Kumar said, “Anything can happen.”Thursday is the last date of filing nominations for the March 16 elections.In the state where 41 first-preference votes are required to win a seat, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has the numbers to win four seats outright. It requires three opposition votes to win the fifth seat, likely to go to former minister Upendra Kushwaha.In Assam, where three seats go to the polls, the BJP fielded sitting MLA Terash Gowalla and cabinet minister Jogen Mohan. Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Tuesday that BJP won’t be fielding any candidate for the third seat as the party has no chance of winning.In Assam, which has 126 MLAs in its assembly, at least 32 first preference votes are needed to win when the contest for three seats. The BJP has 67 members in the assembly, while the Congress has 22.In Chhattisgarh, where two seats are falling vacant, member of the party’s Chhattisgarh State Women Commission, Laxmi Verma, was named as the candidate. As per their strength in the House, the BJP and the Congress can win one Rajya Sabha seat each.In Haryana, where two seats go the polls, former MP Sanjay Bhatia was named as the candidate. As 31 votes each are required for the two candidates to make it to the Rajya Sabha, the other seat will go to the Congress.In the 90-member Haryana Assembly, the ruling BJP has 48 MLAs, Congress 37, the INLD has two, while three Independents support the ruling party.In Odisha, where four seats go to polls, the party nominated party’s Odisha unit president Manmohan Samal and outgoing Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar.Dilip Ray is also filing nomination saying he has BJP support and he’s likely to square off for the fourth seat against joint Cong-BJD candidate Datteswar Hota.With 79 MLAs of its own and the support of three Independents, the BJP commands 82 votes in the 147-member assembly. At 30 first-preference votes required per candidate, the party can comfortably elect both its nominees and still have 22 surplus votes in hand.In West Bengal, where five seats go to the polls, former West Bengal unit president Rahul Sinha was named as the candidate. With an absolute majority in the Assembly, the TMC held the four other seats and will win them again.With 75 legislators in the 294-member Assembly against the Trinamool Congress’s 215, the BJP has the numbers to ensure Sinha’s victory.In Bihar, Nabin’s candidature assumed significance as he recently took over as the BJP’s national president, marking a generational shift in the party’s top leadership. A prominent face from Bihar, Nabin held key organisational and ministerial responsibilities in the state and is considered close to the party’s central leadership.Party leaders indicated that sending Nabin to the Rajya Sabha would provide him a parliamentary platform commensurate with his organisational responsibilities. As national president, he is expected to steer the party through a series of crucial assembly elections and prepare the ground for the next general election cycle.The second nominee from Bihar, Kumar, is regarded as an organisational hand with experience in state-level party affairs.In Maharashtra, where seven seats are falling vacant, the ruling Mahayuti can win six and there might be a contest for the seventh seat, which the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi is hoping to win. NCP (SP) has said party chief Sharad Pawar should be the opposition nominee but the Congress CHECK and the Shiv Sena (UBT) have expressed reservations.