Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 30 (ANI): Political sparring intensified in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections as the Samajwadi Party on Wednesday hinted at its plans to field a third candidate, with party leaders claiming that more “surprises” were in store, while Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the BJP would deliver the surprise and claimed that “25 SP MLAs were in touch with the party”.
The SP formally entered the Rajya Sabha contest from Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday as its nominees Professor Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani filed their nomination papers in Lucknow in the presence of party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
The party had earlier announced Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani as its two candidates from Uttar Pradesh. However, SP leaders indicated that the party was exploring the possibility of fielding a third nominee for the Upper House.
Speaking after filing his nomination, SP Rajya Sabha nominee Professor Ram Gopal Yadav was asked about the possibility of the party fielding a third candidate. He said, “Only the National President can tell you about that.”
SP leader ST Hasan expressed confidence that the party could ensure victory for all three candidates if it decides to enter the contest with another nominee. “SP will ensure that all three candidates win. We are fully confident. There will be more surprises now and also in 2027. You saw how we managed to bring them over from the NDA fold,” Hasan said.
He added, “If we manage to break the BJP’s ranks, it would be a massive achievement.”
SP MLA from Kanpur Cantonment Mohd Hassan Roomi also suggested that the party was preparing for a third candidate and linked the move with the entry of Nathwani into the Rajya Sabha race. “Today, a prominent industrialist from the Reliance Group has entered the Rajya Sabha under the Samajwadi Party banner. I am hopeful that the era of the 2012 Samajwadi Party government will return,” Roomi said.
He further claimed that there was a split within the BJP and NDA and said, “When our third candidate files their nomination, it will be done with the firm conviction of victory. Once the nomination is filed, you can assume that the third candidate is going to win.”
Further, taking a swipe at the Samajwadi Party over its declaration of springing a surprise by fielding a third candidate, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Wednesday said that it would be the BJP that would surprise the opposition in the Rajya Sabha polls.
Speaking to reporters, the Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM declared that 25 of their MLAs are in touch with the BJP. “We will surprise them. 25 of their MLAs are in touch with us,” said Maurya.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar also questioned the SP’s candidate selection and asked whether the party’s nominees represented its PDA (Pichhada, Dalit, Alpashankhyak) formulation.
In a post on X, Rajbhar said, “Akhilesh ji, I’ve heard you’re going to field three candidates for the Rajya Sabha. Tell me, will all three be from your ‘PDA’ or not?”
Rajbhar also cautioned the SP against attempting to secure a third seat, saying that the move should not put its second seat at risk.
Meanwhile, SP Rajya Sabha nominee Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani thanked Akhilesh Yadav for nominating him and expressing confidence in him.
In a post on X, Nathwani said, “I express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to the Honourable National President Shri Akhilesh Yadav Ji for nominating me as the Samajwadi Party candidate for Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.”
“Today, in Lucknow, in the presence of the Honourable Akhilesh Yadav Ji, I filed my nomination for Rajya Sabha as I step into this new phase of public life. I offer my heartfelt thanks to all of you for your affection, trust, and best wishes,” he added.
Nathwani is Director of Reliance New Energy Limited and President of the Gujarat Cricket Association. His profile describes him as an industrialist and institutional strategist with responsibilities spanning manufacturing, infrastructure, new energy, defence and real estate.
According to his profile, Nathwani is a Board Member of Reliance Corporate IT Park Limited and oversees the Jamnagar manufacturing divisions as well as strategic responsibilities related to Reliance Jio in Gujarat. He also leads the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) vertical and oversees construction and infrastructure projects across the Reliance ecosystem.
In the sports sector, Nathwani serves as President of the Gujarat Cricket Association, where his profile highlights work related to governance, infrastructure and grassroots cricket development. The association administers the Narendra Modi Stadium.
His profile also lists associations with several educational, environmental, wildlife and heritage institutions, including the Gujarat State Board for Wildlife, Pandit Dindayal Energy University, Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute and GLS University.
The Election Commission has announced that polling for 11 Rajya Sabha seats, including 10 from Uttar Pradesh and one from Uttarakhand, will be held on October 16. The terms of the sitting members from the two states are scheduled to expire on November 25.
The nomination process for the biennial elections is underway, with candidates required to complete the filing process within the schedule announced by the Election Commission.
The nomination exercise comes amid the SP’s continued criticism of the Election Commission over electoral processes.
Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav had alleged that votes of SP supporters were deliberately deleted during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. He claimed that voters who had exercised their franchise in 2019 were denied the opportunity to vote in 2022 without notice or adherence to rules.
“When the results came out in 2022, I remember stating at our national convention that the Election Commission and officials had colluded to deliberately delete the votes of the Samajwadi Party,” Yadav had said.
The BJP had won 255 of the 403 Assembly seats in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections and formed the government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Minister Danish Azad Ansari criticised the SP, alleging that the party was attempting to spread “confusion and hatred” in the state.
“No matter how much the Samajwadi Party tries to spread confusion and hatred in Uttar Pradesh, these remain its only two agendas. But the people of our state have rejected the Samajwadi Party has faced defeat in every election,” Ansari said.
The Rajya Sabha elections for 11 seats, including 10 from Uttar Pradesh and one from Uttarakhand, will be held on October 16. The terms of the sitting members are scheduled to expire on November 25. (ANI)
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