Corporate honcho Dhanraj Parimal is SP's surprise candidate for Rajya Sabha
The Samajwadi Party has named Reliance Industries executive Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani as a surprise candidate for the Rajya Sabha. Nathwani, a prominent business figure and sports administrator, will run alongside party veteran Ram Gopal Yadav.
Why it matters
The nomination of a high-profile corporate executive by an opposition party highlights the intersection of business interests and political power in Indian elections.
LUCKNOW: Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani is Samajwadi Party's 'surprise' candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls along with party's secretary general Prof Ram Gopal Yadav. Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani is the Group President of Reliance Industries and considered to be very close to the Ambani family. He is also a sports administrator. The two will file their nomination papers in the presence of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav at 11 am.Recently, Akhilesh Yadav, while responding to a media query on probable candidates for Rajya Sabha had said that this time there will be a surprise candidate from SP. On Wednesday morning the party declared Nathwani's name as the second confirmed candidate of the party on SP's official X account.A founding member of SP and party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's chief political strategist, Ram Gopal Yadav has been in the Rajya Sabha continuously since 2004.
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