BJP names four RS candidates from Gujarat

Gandhinagar: The BJP central leadership on Thursday named four candidates from Gujarat for the Rajya Sabha seats that will be vacated later this month. All four candidates are expected to win as the BJP enjoys a sizeable majority in the assembly.

The BJP adopted a “no-repeat” policy in nominating its candidates for the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat, picking candidates who have been working in the organisation at the district level.

Jitendra Kanjariya, 39, is from Devbhumi Dwarka district of Saurashtra and is in charge of the district unit. He held several positions in the party’s organisational setup in Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts.

Raju Shukla, 62, from Mehsana in north Gujarat, is a member of the state BJP executive and is in charge of Surendranagar district. Shukla has served in various elected and organisational positions in Mehsana district panchayat, Kadi municipality, and Aravalli district.

Mansinh Parmar, 45, is the state BJP OBC Morcha president and has held several positions in the state Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in the past. He was the BJP’s candidate for the Somnath assembly constituency in the 2022 assembly poll and lost the seat to Congress’s Vimal Chudasama by a slender margin of less than 1,000 votes.

Mukesh Rathwa, 39, is currently general secretary of the Chhota Udepur BJP unit and has earlier served as vice-president of the BJYM state unit.

The last date for filing nominations is June 8, and the last date for withdrawal is June 11. Voting will take place at the assembly complex in Gandhinagar from 9am to 4pm on June 18, and counting of votes will be taken up at 5pm.

The four Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat whose terms are ending on June 21 are Narhari Amin, Ramila Bara and Ram Mokariya — all from the BJP — and Shaktisinh Gohil from the Congress.

This will be the first time that the Congress will not have any Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat.