UP Rajya Sabha polls: Smriti Irani, Kumar Vishwas on BJP’s list; SP too steps up preparations

The political activity around the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh is picking up, with the BJP and Samajwadi Party working on their candidate lists. Ten Rajya Sabha seats from the state will go to polls on October 16, while the nomination process began on Tuesday, September 29.The last date to file nominations is October 6, followed by scrutiny on October 7 and withdrawal of nominations until October 9. Of the 10 seats from Uttar Pradesh, eight are currently held by the BJP, while the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party have one seat each. The terms of the sitting members are ending on November 25.BJP sends 25-name panel for 10 Rajya Sabha seatsThe Uttar Pradesh BJP has forwarded a list of 25 names to its central leadership for consideration ahead of the October 16 Rajya Sabha elections for 10 seats in the state. The panel includes Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, BJP national general secretaries Smriti Irani and Harish Dwivedi, and former AAP leader and poet Kumar Vishwas.Several leaders who have lost elections in recent years, including former MPs and organisational figures, are also part of the list, as per Tribune. Among the names are former Basti MP Harish Dwivedi, Rajveer Singh Raju Bhaiya, BL Verma, senior Jat leaders Sanjeev Balyan and Satyapal Singh, and former MP Brij Lal.SP may field three candidatesThe Samajwadi Party is also preparing for the election and, according to sources to NDTV, is considering fielding three candidates. Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav is among the names being discussed, while former IAS officer Alok Ranjan and Salim Iqbal have also been mentioned. The SP currently has 101 MLAs, while the Congress has two in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.How BJP can push for an eighth seatUttar Pradesh has a 403-member Legislative Assembly, with 396 MLAs currently in place. Under the first-preference voting formula, 37 votes are needed to secure one Rajya Sabha seat.The BJP has 255 MLAs, enough to secure seven Rajya Sabha seats on its own. Its allies include Apna Dal Sonelal with 13 MLAs, Rashtriya Lok Dal with nine, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party with six and Nishad Party with five.Together, the BJP and its allies would have 33 surplus votes after securing seven seats. This means they would need four more votes for an eighth seat, which could come from two unaffiliated MLAs of the Jansatta Dal Loktantrik Party. Continue Reading(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)First Published: Sept 29, 2026 6:09 PM IST