The Election Commission of India has set the election schedule for three Rajya Sabha seats from Rajasthan. The polling is scheduled for June 18, with results to be declared on the same day. The seats will be vacant after the terms of Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, BJP MP Rajendra Gehlot, and Congress MP Neeraj Dangi end on June 21.
Discussions on potential candidates for the Rajya Sabha seats reportedly occurred during the BJP’s state core committee meeting on May 16. Rajasthan BJP president Madan Rathore and Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma were authorized to submit the final list of names to the central leadership after deliberations. The BJP is considering a candidate from the native OBC community for one seat, taking into account caste dynamics and the state’s political scenario.
The Congress is yet to finalize its candidate list for the Rajya Sabha polls. The decision is expected to come from the central leadership in Delhi. Various leaders at the state and national levels are vying for the party’s single winnable seat. The final candidate selection will be clearer once the party leadership formally establishes its panel.
With the current political party strengths in the Rajasthan Assembly, the BJP is anticipated to secure two seats comfortably, while the Congress is likely to retain one. Observers suggest the election might be uncontested if the BJP refrains from nominating a third candidate and the Congress sticks to one candidate. However, the final outcome hinges on candidate selection strategies, as per political analysts.
The Election Commission of India has also announced elections for 24 Rajya Sabha seats on June 18, including the three from Rajasthan.
