UP Rajya Sabha polls: Samajwadi Party names Ramgopal Yadav, Dhanraj Nathwani as candidates, no decision yet on 3rd candidate

Samajwadi Party on Wednesday named Professor Ramgopal Yadav and Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani as its two candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh. The two candidates will file their nomination today in the presence of party president Akhilesh Yadav. 

"The authorized candidates of the Samajwadi Party for the Rajya Sabha, Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav Ji and Shri Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani Ji, will file their nomination papers at 11 AM in the presence of the Honorable National President Shri Akhilesh Yadav Ji," the party said in a social media post. 

ALSO READ | Smriti Irani, Hardeep Puri, Ex-UP DGP: BJP's list of potential candidates for UP Rajya Sabha seats

Frontrunners for the third candidate 

The Samajwadi Party is also considering running for a third Rajya Sabha seat. The party, however, has not yet revealed its third candidate.

Among the names being considered are former UP cabinet secretary Alok Ranjan and former Union Minister Salim Iqbal Sherwani. A fourth candidate could also be fielded, names from the opposition camp are also being looked into, Aaj Tak reported, citing sources. 

The names are likely to be announced formally during the proposed farmers' conference at the Samajwadi Party office or in the next day or two. 

Why is the third seat so critical?

The third seat is a matter of mathematics and there is also a possibility of cross-voting. Winning one Rajya Sabha seat requires the votes of 37 MLAs. 

Based on their strength in the Assembly, the Samajwadi Party can win 2 seats easily. The Samajwadi Party has 101 MLAs on paper but the SP will need to secure 12-14 additional votes given the stance of the rebel MLAs who switched sides last time. These include Vinod Chaturvedi, Rakesh Pandey, Ashutosh Maurya, and Pooja Pal, all of whom are now active in the BJP. 

The party has already begun working on a strategy to break into the opposition camp to address this shortfall, sources say. 

Were disgruntled MLAs from NDA contacted?

The Samajwadi Party also contacted disgruntled MLAs from the NDA, especially in the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP). The SP may also offer tickets to MLAs who fear losing their tickets in the next assembly elections may or their family members, according to sources. 

Rajya Sabha election schedule

The notification was issued on September 29 and the nominations can be filed till October 6. According to the Election Commission of India, polling for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh will take place on October 16.

Polling will be held from 9 am to 4 pm on October 16, followed by counting of votes on the same day. The terms of the sitting members holding the Uttar Pradesh seats are set to expire on November 25. 

Eight of the 10 outgoing Uttar Pradesh seats were held by the BJP, while the SP and the BSP held one each.