BJP has officially declared nine Rajya Sabha hopefuls for elections in six states, spotlighting Bihar with national president Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Ram as frontrunners. The timeline is brisk—file nominations by March 5, vote and count on March 15—keeping the political machinery in overdrive.
Beyond Bihar, the list features Sanjay Bhatia (Haryana), Rahul Sinha (West Bengal), Lakshmi Verma (Chhattisgarh), Odisha president Manmohan Samal and Sujit Kumar, plus Assam’s Tarash Gowala and Jagnmohan. Maharashtra’s announcements are on hold.
Focusing on Bihar, the vacancies stem from retiring members: JD(U)’s Harivansh Narayan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur, RJD’s Premchandra Gupta and Amarnath Dhari Singh, and Upendra Kushwaha. NDA’s legislative numbers guarantee four seats, but the fifth hinges on securing three more votes through strategic pacts.
As Bihar simmers with anticipation, BJP’s choices signal confidence and calculation. Nitin Nabin’s bid not only strengthens the party’s upper house tally but also underscores its dominance in the NDA coalition, promising a contest rich in intrigue and implications for national politics.