BJP announces names of 9 candidates for Rajya Sabha elections; nominates Scindia from MP

The BJP on Wednesday released its list of candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha biennial elections. The list includes the name of Party's new member Jyotiraditya Scindia, who has been nominated from Madhya Pradesh. According to sources, Scindia will fly back to Bhopal to file his nomination on Thursday as March 13 is the last day. 

The BJP announced the names of its nine Rajya Sabha candidates, including former Congress leader Bhubaneswar Kalita from Assam, and allotted two seats to its allies, including Dalit leader and Union minister Ramdas Athawale from Maharashtra.

Here is the full list: 

Scindia quit the Congress on Tuesday. He is an influential leader of Madhya Pradesh where 22 Congress MLAs, most of whom loyal to him, have resigned from the Assembly in a bid to topple the Kamal Nath-led government.

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READ | BJP central election committee meets to select Rajya Sabha candidates

A meeting of the BJP Central Election Committee (CEC) was held at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday evening to decide the candidates for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP chief JP Nadda and other members of the CEC. The last date for filing nominations for 55 Rajya Sabha seats, which will fall vacant in April, is March 13. The vacancies are spread across 17 states.

Counting will be held on the evening of March 26, an hour after the conclusion of polls.

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