The BJP, on Tuesday, released a list of candidates for the forthcoming by-elections to the Rajya Sabha in different states, including names of Union Ministers Ravneet Singh Bittu and former minister Rameswar Teli.

The pas has field Bittu, who holds the portfolio of Union Minister of State for Railway and Food Processing Industries from Rajasthan and Teli from Assam, as per the list.

Kiran Choudhary, who recently severed ties with Congress and joined the BJP has been nominated as the saffron party’s candidate from Haryana.

The other names of the candidates are George Kurian from Madhya Pradesh, Manan Kumar Mishra from Bihar, Mission Ranjan Das from Assam, Dhairyashil Patil from Maharashtra, Mamata Mohanta from Odisha and Rajub Bhattacharjee from Tripura.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Railway Bittu in a post on X wrote,
“I am very grateful to Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, Union Home Minister Amit Shah ji, BJP National President JP Nadda ji for reposing their trust in me by nominating me to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.”

“With your support, I will uphold the values and principles of our Constitution and contribute to the progress and prosperity of our country,” he said.

It may be mentioned that on 7th August, The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for bye-election to 12 Rajya Sabha seats in Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tripura, Telangana and Odisha.

The bye-election to 12 seats in Upper House in nine states were necessitated following election of 10 members to the 18th Lok Sabha and two others due to resignation.

Among the members who tendered their resignation after elected as a member of the Lower House include Union Ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Jyotiraditya Scindia, former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb and senior Congress leader KC Venugopal.

According to a communiqué issued by the ECI, polling in these 12 Rajya Sabha seats in nine states will be held on 3rd September.
The notification for the poll would be issued on 14th August. The last date of filing of nomination is 21st August and the date of scrutiny is 22nd August, it said.

The last date for withdrawal of candidature for Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tripura is 26th August , while for Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Telangana and Odisha is 27th August.

The counting of votes will take place on 3rd September after the polling.