BJP’s Rajya Sabha Candidate List Omits Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

In a significant political shift, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has been excluded from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) list of candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. Alongside Puri, seven other Rajya Sabha MPs from the state have also been dropped from the party’s nominations as the BJP prepares for elections scheduled for October 16.

The BJP currently holds eight out of the ten Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, with the opposition parties, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, securing one seat each. Given the current composition of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the BJP is anticipated to maintain its dominance and retain all eight seats in the Upper House of Parliament.

As the political landscape gears up for the elections, which precede the Assembly polls expected early next year, the BJP has unveiled a diverse list of candidates. Notably, the party has nominated two women: Priyanka Singh Rawat, a former Member of Parliament, and Shruti Gangwar, daughter of Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar. Other candidates include Dharampal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopi Krishna Pandey, and Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan.

Hardeep Singh Puri, who has served as a Rajya Sabha member since January 2018, saw his term coming to an end on November 25. His exclusion from the BJP’s list is particularly striking as he is not only a key figure in the party but also plays a significant role as a Union minister. Moreover, Puri’s name is also absent from the party’s nominations for Rajya Sabha seats in Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

This reshuffling within the party’s ranks raises questions about the future of Puri within the BJP, given his previous ministerial responsibilities. His current status as a minister without a seat in either House of Parliament may have implications for his political career moving forward. With no other Rajya Sabha elections on the horizon, the party’s strategy in selecting candidates appears to be focused on paving the way for a robust performance in the upcoming Assembly polls.

Source: scroll.in