Assembly Elections Heat Already Up, But UP To See No Contest In Rajya Sabha Polls

Eight Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates and two from the Samajwadi Party (SP), the main Opposition, are set to be elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh after only their nomination papers were found valid during scrutiny on Wednesday. The nomination papers of two Independent candidates were rejected during scrutiny, Returning Officer Ajeet Verma said.

The SP had been expected by some to field a third candidate and force a contest for the tenth seat. Party chief Akhilesh Yadav ended the speculation on Tuesday, saying in a post on X, "Now, our focus is not on three, but on 403." That's the number of seats in the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, which is to go to polls in five months. The SP, in alliance with the Congress, is seeking to unseat the BJP government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, now in its second consecutive term.

Independent candidates Kante Sayana and Omkarnath Chaurasia's nominations were rejected "for failing to meet the mandatory requirements" or for incomplete papers.

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With exactly 10 valid candidates remaining for 10 seats, all are set to be declared elected unopposed unless any candidate withdraws before the October 9 deadline. Polling had been scheduled for October 16, but officials said it would not be required given the current arithmetic.

The BJP candidates are Uttar Pradesh minister Dharampal Singh, party OBC wing chief Prakash Pal, Shruti Gangwar, Vidya Sagar Sonkar, Priyanka Rawat, Radhakant Ojha, Gopi Krishna Pandey and Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan.

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The SP candidates are veteran party leader Ram Gopal Yadav and Reliance Industries executive Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani.

The biennial elections were necessitated by the terms of 10 Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh ending on November 25.

The BJP has fielded an entirely new set of candidates, with none of its eight outgoing Rajya Sabha members from the state, including Union Ministers Hardeep Puri and BL Verma, having been renominated. The party's eight nominees include two women and represent different caste groups and regions.