New Delhi: It has been announced by the party’s central election committee that BJP president J.P. Nadda will be renominated to the Rajya Sabha, this time from Gujarat, ending speculations on whether his term will be extended. Nadda currently represents Himachal Pradesh, but his term is ending in April. The hill state is under the Congress’s rule.
Other names announced by the BJP on Wednesday include former Congress stalwart and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and a paediatric and a “kar sevak” Ashok Ghopchade. Vaishnaw has been renominated from Odisha, Chavan and Dr Ghopchade have been nominated from Maharashtra. The third name from Maharashtra is that of former MLA Medha Kulkarni. Speculation is rife in Maharashtra BJP that the party could field a fourth “surprise” candidate amidst the rumor that more than three to four MLAs from the Congress, close to Chavan, are ready to jump ship. Polls for the 56 Rajya Sabha seats are scheduled to be held on February 27, and the last date for filing nominations is February 15.
Several prominent BJP leaders, including Central ministers, have their RS term ending by May, and it is speculated that many of them will be contesting the Lok Sabha polls.