BJP nominates Rajya Sabha candidates for five states; two Union Ministers left out

The party has inducted Debashish Samantaray, who recently joined the BJP after quitting his Rajya Sabha seat as a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP. | Photo credit: ANI

The BJP on Thursday (June 4, 2026) announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in five states, with two Union ministers Ravneet Singh Bittu and George Kurian missing from the list. The term of office of both ministers in the upper chamber ends on June 21. While Mr. Bittu represents Rajasthan in the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Kurian is currently the member from Madhya Pradesh.

Kharge and Praveen Chakravarty among the Congress Rajya Sabha candidates

Mr Bittu is likely to focus on Punjab, which goes to polls early next year.

The party has inducted Debashish Samantaray, who recently joined the BJP after quitting his Rajya Sabha seat as a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP.

According to the list released by the party, Rajubhai Shukla, Mukeshbhai Rathwa, Mansingh Parmar and Jitendra Meghjibhai Kanzariya have been proposed as candidates from Gujarat. The party has decided not to renominate three of its outgoing members, instead leaning on younger leaders.

Selected Younger Leaders

Mr. Kanzariya, an OBC leader from Devbhoomi Dwarka district, is the son of former Khambhaliya MLA Meghjibhai Kanjhariya, who died in 2021. Mr. Parmar (45) from Gir Somnath currently heads the Gujarat BJP Bakshipanch (OBC) Morcha. Mr. Shukla held organizational duties in the party and worked in Kalol and Surendranagar. Mr. Rathwa (39) is a former vice-president of the BJYM and is currently serving as general secretary of the Chhota Udaipur district unit.

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The party’s national general secretary Tarun Chugh and Rajneesh Agrawal were fielded from Madhya Pradesh. Mr Chug, who hails from Punjab, has been an active face in the BJP organization in recent years and previously held positions in the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.

Alka Gurjar and Satish Poonia will contest as BJP candidates from Rajasthan. Mr Poonia, 62, served as BJP state president from September 2019 to March 2023 and is currently in charge of the party for Haryana. In 2018, he was elected to the State Assembly from the Amber constituency in Jaipur district, but lost in the 2023 election. He also served as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly for eight months in 2023. Ms Gurjar, 65, currently the national general secretary of the BJP, won the 2013 Rajasthan assembly elections.

The party has fielded A. Sharda Devi as its candidate from Manipur and Tai Tagak from Arunachal Pradesh. Ms Devi, 59, a former teacher, is a long-time member of the party and served as national vice-chairman from 2014 to 2016. She is currently the BJP state president and the first woman to hold the post from June 2021. Mr. Tagak, 54, joined the RSS government in 1989 and played a key role in the formation of A2 Prahual in1JP former state president (2013–2015) and advisor to the chief minister, he is also the patron of Arunachal Shiksha Vikas Samiti, the state arm of Vidya Bharati.

Rajya Sabha elections in 10 states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Manipur, will be held on June 18. A by-poll to the upper house from Odisha will also be held on the same day.

Published – 04 Jun 2026 21:02 IST