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Rajya Sabha candidates: Cong goes for new faces, BJP list has some new entrants

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8 years ago

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rajya sabha candidates: Cong goes for new faces, BJP list has some new entrants

The Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday announced names of their nominees for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls to be held on March 23.

All candidates are required to file nominations by today (Monday, March 12). The elections will be held on March 23.

There will be 59 vacancies in the Rajya Sabha in April, including 17 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and 12 from the Congress party. Three nominated members – actor Rekha, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and social worker Anu Aga – will also retire then.

The BJP, which re-nominated its Union ministers to Rajya Sabha last week, announced a list of 18 candidates that include some fresh faces and some newly inducted veterans, with an eye on caste representation.

The Congress has not renominated any of its retiring members, except senior leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, from states where it is expected to win seats.

A prominent omission from the BJP list is that of Vinay Katiyar whose term is due to expire now. The founder member and president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s youth wing Bajrang Dal, he is one of the top BJP leaders who are facing charges in the Supreme Court for criminal conspiracy in Babri Masjid-Ayodhya Ram Temple issue. Recently he declared Muslims had no place in this country and that Taj Mahal was originally a Shiva temple.

The BJP list includes former Congress leader and former Maharashtra CM Narayan Rane, Rajasthan’s Kirodi Lal Meena who rejoined the BJP Sunday, and Rajeev Chandrashekhar who has been an independent MP in Rajya Sabha. Newly inducted to BJP, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the chairman of Jupiter Capital is one of the largest investors in Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV news channel.

Anil Baluni, the national head of the BJP’s media wing, has been named from Uttarakhand, while Saroj Pandey, who is presently the general secretary of the party, has been named from Chhattisgarh. Kirori Lal Meena and Madan Lal Saini have been named to contest from Rajasthan.

The selection of Meena, whose equations with Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje are known to have been strained, is seen as an initiative against perceived anti-incumbency. With Sachin Pilot, a Gujjar, leading the Congress, the BJP is trying to consolidate the Meena community, said BJP sources.

Among the candidates from UP, prominent is Ashok Bajpai. He is one of the founder members of the Samajwadi Party and a seven-term MLA. Bajpai, a Brahmin leader from Hardoi, joined the BJP last year. Harnath Singh Yadav, a former MLC, too came from the SP (in 2007); his Yadav community is a strong support base of the SP.

Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, another UP candidate, is a prominent farmers’ leader. Kanta Kardam belongs to the Jatav community, a strong support base of the BSP. Another nomination from a backward group is Sakal Deep Rajbhar, state executive member from Balia, who belongs to the Rajbhar caste that constitutes a large population in eastern UP.

Prominent leaders like GVL Narshima Rao who is the party’s spokesperson and Anil Jain, National General Secretary of BJP will contest from Uttar Pradesh along with Sakal Deep Rajbhar and Harnath Singh Yadav.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has already filed nomination from Uttar Pradesh.

Ajay Pratap Singh and Kailash Soni will contest from Madhya Pradesh while Narayana Rane and V Muralidharan will represent Maharashtra. The decision to nominate V Muraleedharan, former Kerala state party chief, is seen as part of efforts to launch an aggressive mission in the state ruled by the Left. Muraleedharan’s nomination could please the Ezhavas, who represent a significant section of Hindus in Kerala.

Lt General DP Vats, Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Sameer Uranv are contesting from Haryana, Karnataka and Jharkhand respectively.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda has filed his nomination papers as the BJP candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will contest from Bihar.

The BJP will field Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot from Madhya Pradesh for another Rajya Sabha term. Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh L Mandaviya and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Parshottam Rupala will contest election from Gujarat.

In Bihar, where six seats are up for grabs, BJP ally JD(U) has now named Mahendra Prasad and B N Singh. JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi might be considered later for the seat held by Sharad Yadav.

The RJD has nominated its national spokesperson Manoj Kumar Jha and owner of a private medical college, Ashfaq Karim, while the Congress is eyeing the sixth seat with RJD support. Sources said the nominee could be former MP Akhilesh Singh.

Sources said the NDA might field a seventh candidate against the Congress as it has 21 votes to spare and hopes to get support of three independents. The NDA would still need 11 more and may place its hopes on engineering cross voting from Congress through former PCC president Ashok Choudhary, who joined JD(U) recently.

Congress

The 10 Congress candidates include senior journalist Kumar Ketkar from Maharashtra, and former Union minister Naranbhai Ratwa and the party’s familiar television face Amee Yajnik from Gujarat.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is also representing Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media case, will contest from West Bengal where the Trinamool Congress has already announced its support for his candidature.

The other candidates are former Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu from Jharkhand, former state minister Rajmani Patel from Madhya Pradesh and former MP Porika Balram Naik from Telangana. The Congress has little chance of getting its nominee elected from Telangana.

In Jharkhand, the JMM has already announced its decision to support the Congress nominee.

From Karnataka, the Congress has nominated L Hanumanthaiah, Syed Naseer Hussain and GC Chandrasekhar.

Hanumanthaiah, vice president of Karnataka Congress, is a Dalit writer and poet. He belongs to the Vokkaliga community. Hussain is a Congress spokesperson. The Congress, which has 120 MLAs, can send at least two MPs with 45 votes each.

With Congress fielding a Vokkaliga leader, the JD(S) will have the difficult choice of backing its own candidate or voting for a Vokkaliga, its main support base. The Congress had earlier turned down JD(S)’s request to back its candidate, businessman BM Farook. While the JD(S) is short by 15 votes, the Congress too is short of some votes for the third MP. The party, however, expects to get the support of seven JD(S) rebels and some independents and others.

The Congress denied a renomination to former Union minister K Rahman Khan from Karnataka, Satyavrat Chaturvedi from MP, Rajani Patil and Rajeev Shukla from Maharashtra and former state president Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu from Jharkhand.

For the two seats in Gujarat, supporters of state Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki and Shaktisinh Gohil were lobbying hard. Former union minister Subodh Kant Sahay, former minister Rajendra Singh and Sahu were in the race from Jharkhand.

Besides Chaturvedi, senior leaders such as Suresh Pachauri, former Mahila Congress chief Shobha Oza and State Congress president Arun Yadav were in contention for the seat in MP. Chaturvedi, who is retiring, reportedly had the backing of Jyotiraditya Scindia.

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Rahul Gandhi attacks Centre ahead of Vladimir Putin’s India visit

Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government discourages visiting foreign dignitaries from meeting Opposition leaders, calling it a sign of “insecurity,” hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Delhi.

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1 day ago

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December 4, 2025

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Rahul Gandhi

As Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Delhi today for the India-Russia Annual Summit, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has renewed his charge that the Centre discourages visiting foreign leaders from meeting Opposition representatives. He called it a sign of “insecurity” within the government.

Rahul Gandhi alleges break in long-followed tradition

Speaking outside Parliament, Rahul Gandhi said that it has traditionally been the norm for visiting foreign leaders to meet the Leader of the Opposition, a practice he claims continued during the tenures of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.

He alleged that the present government advises foreign dignitaries against such meetings. “When foreign leaders come, the government suggests they should not meet the Leader of the Opposition. This is their policy,” Gandhi said. He added that a meeting with the Opposition offers visiting leaders a broader perspective, as “we too represent India.”

Gandhi further stated that this approach reflects the government’s reluctance to allow engagement between the Opposition and foreign guests.

Former Foreign Secretary counters Gandhi’s remarks

Responding to Gandhi’s allegations, former Foreign Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Vardhan Shringla said visiting leaders operate on very tight schedules and there is no protocol mandating a meeting with the Leader of the Opposition. He stressed that such interactions depend entirely on the guest’s time and preference, noting that the required meetings are those with the President and the Prime Minister.

Putin’s schedule packed with bilateral engagements

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to land in Delhi this evening on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation. His itinerary includes:

  • A private dinner with PM Modi
  • Visit to Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Raj Ghat
  • Engagements at Bharat Mandapam and Hyderabad House
  • A banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu

The visit forms part of the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.

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TMC MLA Humayun Kabir suspended after Babri Mosque replica proposal sparks row

TMC suspended MLA Humayun Kabir after he proposed building a Babri mosque replica in Murshidabad, a move that drew criticism from the party and sparked political tension.

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1 day ago

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December 4, 2025

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Trinamool Congress on Thursday suspended MLA Humayun Kabir after he publicly announced plans to construct a replica of the Babri Masjid in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district. Party leaders said Kabir had earlier been cautioned for making such statements but continued to push ahead with the controversial proposal.

Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim said the MLA’s remarks were unacceptable, stressing that the party stood firmly by its secular stance. “We noticed that one of our MLAs suddenly declared he would build the Babri masjid. We had warned him before. As per the party’s decision, we are suspending him,” he said.

Kabir vows to continue project, may form new party

Kabir had planned to lay the foundation stone for the mosque replica in Beldanga on December 6. Sources indicated he is likely to resign from Trinamool on Friday and float a new party while continuing with the project.

The choice of date and nature of the project drew sharp criticism from the Trinamool leadership. Hakim alleged the move reflected a “divisional politics” strategy aligned with the BJP. “Why December 6? He could build a school or college. This is divisional politics,” he said.

Sources also said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was “hugely annoyed” by Kabir’s remarks and informed him that the party would not support or associate with such activities.

Governor raises concerns, administration on alert

West Bengal Governor Ananda Bose questioned why action was not being taken if the MLA’s statements risked creating a law-and-order issue. He said intelligence inputs suggested attempts to turn Murshidabad into a “hub of scandal,” adding that authorities would not remain silent if communal tensions were provoked.

Officials confirmed that while Kabir has permission to hold the December 6 event, the administration is maintaining a high-level alert in Murshidabad.

Minutes after his suspension, Kabir withdrew from Mamata Banerjee’s rally in the India–Bangladesh border district, where she was protesting against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.

BJP attacks Kabir over remarks

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo condemned Kabir’s comments, claiming they were intended to “create communal tensions.” He said any attempt to raise structures linked to historical rulers would trigger disputes similar to the Babri Masjid conflict.

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Karnataka Power Shift: What Siddaramaiah–DK Shivakumar compromise formula means

A closer look at the emerging ‘compromise formula’ between Karnataka’s top leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, and how it may shape the state’s political future.

Published

6 days ago

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November 29, 2025

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A possible settlement between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has emerged, signalling a calmer phase in the leadership tussle within the state Congress. While the final decision rests with the party leadership in Delhi, details of the so-called “compromise formula” are gradually becoming clearer.

Breakfast diplomacy calms tensions

After weeks of speculation over friction between the two top leaders, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar met over breakfast today. The meeting, aimed at projecting unity, served as a symbolic reset after their strained ties over the chief ministership question.

Analysts believe the optics were crucial — the Congress successfully avoided a public showdown by diffusing tensions before they escalated further.

A transition of power likely, say analysts

According to political observers, the compromise indicates a strong possibility of Shivakumar taking over as Chief Minister in a smooth transition, potentially as early as March–April 2026.
For now, sources say the arrangement requires Shivakumar to continue as Deputy Chief Minister without pushing for immediate change.

In return, the formula reportedly includes more cabinet positions for leaders loyal to Shivakumar and continuation of his role as the state Congress chief. Siddaramaiah is also expected to back Shivakumar as the party’s face for the 2028 Assembly election.

Why the Congress prefers this route

Replacing Siddaramaiah abruptly would not only upset internal balance but could also weaken the party, given his stature and mass appeal. Shivakumar, despite his influence, does not have the numbers within the legislature to force a takeover, making compromise the most viable path.

Siddaramaiah has already stated that this will be his final term as Chief Minister. With his legacy secure and his position as one of Karnataka’s tallest leaders intact, he appears willing to enable a dignified transition when the time comes.

Variables that could shape the final outcome

The success of the formula depends on three key factors:

1. Trust between the two leaders

Whether Shivakumar believes Siddaramaiah will keep his word remains uncertain. Karnataka’s political history is full of last-minute shifts, giving rise to the phrase “natak in Karnataka”.

2. Decision-making by the Congress high command

Delhi’s leadership must ensure the transition happens on time and without internal resistance, especially in the run-up to the 2028 Assembly polls.

3. Caste equations and political alignment

Siddaramaiah is the strongest face of the AHINDA bloc, while Shivakumar represents the OBC Vokkaliga community. The Congress cannot afford to alienate either group, making the timing and execution of any transition extremely delicate.

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