Senior BJP leaders Satish Poonia and Alka Singh Gurjar submitted their nomination papers for the two Rajya Sabha seats from Rajasthan. Poonia visited the Shri Govind Dev Ji Temple in Jaipur before filing his nomination, seeking blessings. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, along with other party leaders, was present during the nomination process.
Dr. Alka Singh Gurjar also filed her nomination papers in the presence of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and other senior BJP leaders. Both candidates met the Chief Minister at the BJP state headquarters before filing their nominations. The elections are scheduled for three Rajya Sabha seats from Rajasthan.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma expressed his support for the BJP candidates, Dr. Satish Poonia and Smt. Alka Gurjar, ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections. The BJP is expected to secure two seats, while the Congress is likely to win the third seat based on the current party strengths in the Rajasthan Assembly. The voting for the Rajasthan seats is set for June 18.
Political analysts view the selection of Poonia, a prominent Jat leader, and Gurjar, a well-connected Gurjar representative, as a strategic move to garner support from these influential communities in Rajasthan. This move is seen as a balancing act against the Congress’ strong leaders from these groups and is also linked to the BJP’s positioning for the upcoming state elections in 2028.
Alka Gurjar’s nomination aims to address the gender disparity in Rajasthan’s Rajya Sabha representation, historically dominated by men. With the defeat of the women’s reservation bill in the Lok Sabha, the BJP’s nomination of Alka Gurjar is seen as a step towards promoting women’s political participation. Given the BJP’s strong presence in the Rajasthan Assembly, both Poonia and Gurjar are expected to win in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
