On Tuesday, 3rd March, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced several candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. The party’s national president, Nitin Nabin, has been nominated from Bihar. His entry into the Upper House will require him to resign from the Bihar Assembly and move to Delhi to take up his full-time role as the party’s national president.
भारतीय जनता पार्टी की केंद्रीय चुनाव समिति ने विभिन्न प्रदेशों में होने वाले राज्यसभा के द्विवार्षिक चुनाव हेतु निम्नलिखित नामों पर अपनी स्वीकृति प्रदान की है। pic.twitter.com/38I3mo5KMb
— BJP (@BJP4India) March 3, 2026
Bihar nominations
The BJP has nominated two candidates for the upcoming polls in Bihar: Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar, who is a former MLA. Kumar is from the Ravidas caste and is the son of Munni Lal, who is a former IAS officer and a Union Minister.
A total of five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar are going to the polls. The ruling alliance in the State, comprising the BJP and Janata Dal (United), is contesting two seats each. The alliance may also secure the fifth seat if it receives support from three Opposition MLAs.
BJP ally Upendra Kushwaha, who is the head of Rashtriya Lok Morcha, has announced himself as the candidate for the fifth seat and is expected to get support from other NDA partners.
Assam and West Bengal
In Assam, the party has nominated State Minister Jogen Mohan and sitting MLA Terash Gowala for the Rajya Sabha. Both leaders are known to be close allies of Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. While Mohan represents the Mahmara Assembly constituency in Upper Assam, Gowala is an MLA from Duliajan, an important oil town, and comes from the tea garden workers’ community.
From West Bengal, the BJP has nominated Rahul Sinha, former State president. Sinha is a long-time worker of the party. He has been contesting Assembly polls several times, including in 2021, but has not been able to win.
Candidates for Odisha
The BJP has nominated its State president Manmohan Samal and its present Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar as its candidates for Odisha. Since they have 78 MLAs in the Assembly and the support of three Independent MLAs, they are likely to win both the seats easily.
Manmohan Samal had been one of the key leaders of the BJP who helped it win the 2024 Assembly elections, though he lost his seat from Chandbali. Sujeet Kumar had first become a member of the Rajya Sabha from the Biju Janata Dal Party, but later joined the BJP after quitting the BJD Party. He is contesting for a six-year term.
Dilip Ray, who had been the Union Coal Minister, had announced his candidature as an independent candidate from Odisha. Manmohan Samal said they had decided to support his candidature.
Haryana and Chhattisgarh
From Haryana, the BJP has nominated its former Lok Sabha MP Sanjay Bhatia. Bhatia, who won the Karnal Lok Sabha constituency in 2019, has close ties with former Haryana Chief Minister and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Bhatia has been actively involved in the party’s election management in the State.
From Chhattisgarh, the BJP has nominated its State BJP vice-president Laxmi Verma. She is a Kurmi candidate and has served as Raipur district panchayat chief and State BJP women’s wing president in the State.
Poll schedule
The BJP is yet to announce its nominees for the Maharashtra Rajya Sabha poll. The party’s Mahayuti coalition is expected to win six out of the seven Rajya Sabha seats in the State.
The last date for filing nominations is 5th March, while voting for the seats will take place on 16th March.
