BJP Announces Candidates For Rajya Sabha Biennial Polls, Odisha Assembly Bypoll
BJP Announces Candidates For Rajya Sabha Biennial Polls, Odisha Assembly Bypoll Published By, Last Updated: June 04, 2026, 19:30 IST The party's Central Election Committee
BJP Announces Candidates For Rajya Sabha Biennial Polls, Odisha Assembly Bypoll Published By, Last Updated: June 04, 2026, 19:30 IST The party's Central Election Committee cleared candidates for Rajya Sabha biennial elections in Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur and Rajasthan. Rapid Read Prime Minister Narendra Modi with BJP President Nitin Nabin. (IMAGE: PTI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday announced its candidates for the 2026 Rajya Sabha biennial elections across five states and also named its nominee for the Odisha Assembly bypoll. In a statement issued by the party’s Central Election Committee, the BJP cleared candidates for Rajya Sabha elections in Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur and Rajasthan. For Arunachal Pradesh, the party named Tai Tagak as its candidate. In Gujarat, the BJP fielded Rajubhai Shukla, Mukeshbhai Rathwa, Mansingh Parmar and Jitendra Meghjibhai Kanzariya. For Madhya Pradesh, the party nominated BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh and Rajneesh Agrawal.
The BJP has also fielded A. Sharda Devi from Manipur and Dr Alka Gurjar and Dr Satish Poonia from Rajasthan. The party’s Central Election Committee also approved the candidature of Debashish Samantaray for the Odisha Assembly by-election scheduled in 2026. The list was released by BJP national general secretary and headquarters in-charge Arun Singh. Candidates Announced By BJP Arunachal Pradesh Tai Tagak Gujarat Rajubhai Shukla, Mukeshbhai Rathwa, Mansingh Parmar, Jitendra Meghjibhai Kanzariya Madhya Pradesh Tarun Chugh, Rajneesh Agrawal Manipur A. Sharda Devi Rajasthan Dr Alka GurjarDr Satish Poonia Odisha Assembly Bypoll Debashish Samantaray List With An Eye On Punjab? Two Union ministers in the Narendra Modi government — Ravneet Singh Bittu and George Kurian — have been dropped from the party’s Rajya Sabha list. Sources indicated that Bittu’s omission is being viewed within the party as a sign that the BJP may be preparing him for a larger role in Punjab politics ahead of the next Assembly election.
Bittu himself had recently hinted at a return to Punjab politics, with sources pointing to his remarks that his “bags are packed" for the state. The party nominated BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh from Madhya Pradesh. Sources said the nomination is being seen as a reward for his organisational work and contribution to the party’s expansion efforts. In Rajasthan, the BJP fielded former state unit chief Satish Poonia, a move that sources said reinforces the party’s outreach to the influential Jat community in the state. Another notable inclusion is Debashish Samantaray, the former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader who recently resigned from the party and joined the BJP. The BJP has nominated him for the Odisha Assembly bypoll, effectively helping him return to the legislature through the seat he had vacated earlier, sources said. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Shankhyaneel Sarkar Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18.
He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has c... Read More First Published: June 04, 2026, 19:30 IST News india BJP Announces Candidates For Rajya Sabha Biennial Polls, Odisha Assembly Bypoll Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
The BriefWire