SP names Ram Gopal Yadav, Dhanraj Nathwani for UP Rajya Sabha polls

The Samajwadi Party has announced Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani as its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The two candidates are scheduled to file their nominations on Wednesday in the presence of SP president Akhilesh Yadav, the party said in a post on X.

The elections have been necessitated by the completion of the terms of nine Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh on November 25. Those whose terms are ending include Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma, BJP leaders Arun Singh, Geeta Shakya, Neeraj Shekhar, Brijlal and Seema Dwivedi, SP's Ram Gopal Yadav and BSP's Ramji Gautam.

Puri and Verma will need to be re-elected to the Upper House to continue as Union ministers.

An additional seat became vacant after former Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma resigned from the Rajya Sabha following his appointment as Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Based on the present strength of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the BJP-led alliance is expected to be able to win eight seats, while the SP, with support from the Congress, can secure two seats.

A contest may emerge if the number of candidates exceeds the available seats, with cross-voting potentially influencing the outcome.

As per the Election Commission schedule, October 6 is the deadline for filing nominations. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on October 7, while candidates can withdraw their nominations until October 9.

Voting will be held from 9 am to 4 pm on October 16, with counting scheduled for the same day.

In the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, all eight BJP candidates and SP candidates Jaya Bachchan and Ramji Lal Suman were elected.

The SP had also fielded former Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Alok Ranjan as its third candidate, but he was defeated.  (with inputs from PTI)