UP Rajya Sabha Election: SP Drops Third Candidate, Focus Shifts to 2027 Assembly Polls
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| PTI |
The Samajwadi Party has decided not to field a third candidate in the upcoming Rajya Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh, paving the way for all 10 seats to be filled without a contest.
The decision has triggered a fresh political exchange between the SP and the BJP as both parties turn their attention towards the crucial Uttar Pradesh Assembly election scheduled for 2027.
SP president Akhilesh Yadav said the party’s focus was no longer on securing three Rajya Sabha seats but on winning the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
The SP has already nominated senior leader Ram Gopal Yadav and industrialist Dhanraj Nathwani for the Rajya Sabha election. The party had earlier indicated that it could field a third candidate but lacks the required numbers to comfortably secure another seat.
Senior SP leader Sudhir Panwar said the party was preparing for the Assembly election with the objective of forming the government in 2027.
BJP Candidates
The BJP has fielded eight candidates for the Rajya Sabha election. Dharampal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopi Krishna Pandey, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan and Shruti Gangwar filed their nomination papers on Tuesday.
The BJP’s selection includes representation from OBC, Brahmin and Scheduled Caste communities.
Among the prominent candidates are Cabinet Minister Dharampal Singh, BJP Backward Classes Morcha president Prakash Pal and former Allahabad High Court Bar Association president Radhakant Ojha.
Political Reaction
The SP’s decision led to sharp reactions from BJP leaders. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya questioned the SP’s prospects in the 2027 Assembly election and predicted that the party could struggle to cross 50 seats.
Panchayati Raj Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar also mocked Akhilesh Yadav’s focus on all 403 Assembly seats.
The SP, however, maintained that it would fight the Assembly election and would not boycott the polls over its differences with the Election Commission.
With the SP withdrawing its third candidate, all 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh are expected to be filled without a contest, subject to the completion of the electoral process.
The development also marks an early shift in political focus towards the 2027 Assembly election, where the BJP and SP are expected to face another major electoral battle.
Our Final Thoughts
The Rajya Sabha decision is less about numbers and more about political strategy for the SP. By stepping away from a third candidate, the party can now concentrate its organisational and political energy on the much bigger challenge of the 2027 Assembly election.
For the BJP, the move provides an opportunity to highlight its strength in the current Assembly while continuing preparations for the next major electoral contest in Uttar Pradesh.