BJP Fields New Faces for RS Polls, Drops Union Minister Hardeep Puri
What Happened
The BJP has announced eight candidates for the October 16 Rajya Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh, notably excluding Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Union Minister B.L. Verma, whose current terms in the Upper House expire on November 25. The party's nominees include Dharampal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopi Krishna Pandey, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan, and Shruti Gangwar.
Key Takeaways
Puri's omission is the biggest surprise in the BJP list and has fueled speculation about a possible reshuffle in the Union Council of Ministers, while the party appears to be promoting new social and regional faces ahead of the Upper House elections.