BJP Drops Hardeep Puri and Seven Sitting MPs in Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha List
· India · India Today, Hindustan Times, Indian Express
The BJP has dropped all eight sitting Rajya Sabha MPs whose terms are ending in Uttar Pradesh, including Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma. For the upcoming 2026 biennial elections, the party fielded eight new candidates: Dharampal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopi Krishna Pandey, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan, and Shruti Gangwar. The candidate list includes three OBC nominees, two Scheduled Caste candidates, and three from the general category, with two women included. Outgoing MP Dinesh Sharma has assumed office as the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The candidate selection aims to balance regional representation, caste dynamics, and organisational experience ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
Why it matters
The sweeping overhaul of Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha nominees reshapes the BJP's legislative lineup and caste equations ahead of crucial state assembly polls.
Read the original report — India Today
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