By
BJP National President Likely to Enter Parliament via Upper House
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday nominated its national president Nitin Nabin as the party’s candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Bihar.
If elected, Nabin will resign from the Bihar Legislative Assembly, where he currently serves as an MLA, and shift full-time to Delhi to carry out responsibilities as the BJP’s national president.
Second BJP Candidate from Bihar
The party has also fielded Shivesh Kumar, a former BJP MLA from Bihar, as its second candidate from the state. Kumar belongs to the Ravidas community and is the son of former IAS officer and former Union minister Munni Lal, who served in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
Five Rajya Sabha Seats in Bihar Up for Election
A total of five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar are going to polls. The ruling NDA alliance, comprising the BJP and Janata Dal (United), is contesting two seats each.
The alliance could secure the fifth seat if it manages to gain support from at least three Opposition legislators. NDA ally Upendra Kushwaha, chief of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, has declared himself as a candidate and is expected to receive backing from alliance partners.
The Election Commission of India will conduct biennial Rajya Sabha elections to 37 seats across 10 states on March 16, with nominations closing on March 5.
Candidates Announced from Assam and West Bengal
In Assam, the BJP has nominated Jogen Mohan, a minister in the Himanta Biswa Sarma government, and Terash Gowala, an MLA from Duliajan who represents the tea garden worker community.
Both leaders are considered close to Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
From West Bengal, the party has nominated former state BJP president Rahul Sinha, a long-time party loyalist who has contested several Assembly elections in the state.
Odisha Candidates and Independent Bid
In Odisha, the BJP has fielded state president Manmohan Samal and sitting Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar.
With 78 BJP MLAs in the Odisha Assembly and support from three independent legislators, both candidates are expected to win comfortably.
Samal played a key role in leading the BJP to victory in the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections, while Sujeet Kumar had earlier entered the Rajya Sabha as a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) nominee before joining the BJP.
Former Union Coal Minister Dilip Ray has announced his candidature as an independent candidate from Odisha, and the BJP has indicated it will support him.
Haryana and Chhattisgarh Nominations
From Haryana, the BJP has nominated Sanjay Bhatia, a former Lok Sabha MP from Karnal and a close associate of Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
In Chhattisgarh, the party has chosen state BJP vice-president Laxmi Verma as its candidate. Verma previously served as Raipur district panchayat chief and president of the party’s state women’s wing.
Maharashtra Candidates Yet to Be Announced
The BJP has not yet announced its nominees from Maharashtra, where the ruling Mahayuti alliance is expected to secure six of the seven Rajya Sabha seats up for election.
