The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced eight candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh, leaving Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri out of its list of nominees. The party has also not renominated Union Minister B.L. Verma.
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BJP Names Eight Candidates for UP Rajya Sabha Polls
The BJP’s nominees are Dharampal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopi Krishna Pandey, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan and Shruti Gangwar. Two women, Priyanka Singh Rawat and Shruti Gangwar, feature in the list.
The announcement comes ahead of the October 16 Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, where 10 seats are falling vacant. Eight of the outgoing seats were held by BJP members, while the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party held one each.
Hardeep Singh Puri Not Renominated
Hardeep Singh Puri, whose current Rajya Sabha term is ending, has not been included among the BJP’s eight nominees. Puri is currently the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas and has represented Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha.
B.L. Verma, another Union minister and sitting Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh, has also been left out of the candidate list. The BJP has instead fielded new faces, including state-level organisational leaders and former MP Priyanka Singh Rawat.
UP Rajya Sabha Election on October 16
The Election Commission has scheduled polling for the 10 Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha seats on October 16, 2026, with counting to take place on the same day. The election has assumed political significance as Uttar Pradesh is also scheduled to hold its Assembly election next year.
The BJP’s candidate selection has therefore drawn attention, particularly because several sitting members have not been renominated. The reasons for individual exclusions, including that of Hardeep Singh Puri, have not been officially stated in the BJP’s candidate announcement.
