No Hardeep Puri, Smriti Irani: The New BJP Faces For UP Rajya Sabha Polls
The BJP has announced its list of eight candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, notably excluding prominent figures like Smriti Irani and Hardeep Puri. The selection process focused on balancing social, regional, and caste dynamics within the party's candidate pool.
Why it matters
The exclusion of high-profile ministers signals a strategic shift in the BJP's candidate selection and internal party management for the Upper House.
There's no mention of Smriti Irani, who was recently appointed as BJP General Secretary, marking her return to the party's front line of leaders. There's no Hardeep Puri either. The Union Minister who was elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.This as the BJP on Monday afternoon announced the names of eight candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in UP.Dharam Pal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopi Krishna Pandey, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan and Shruti Gangwar are the eight BJP candidates for the polls.BJP sources said the party approved the names of these eight candidates keeping in mind social, regional and caste combinations.Elections to 12 Rajya Sabha seats across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal will be held on October 16.
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