BJP nominates Congress turncoat Ashok Chavan for Rajya Sabha seat
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has chosen a former state Chief Minister Ashok Chavan as its Rajya Sabha candidate from Maharashtra. This announcement came just a day after Chavan declared, "I am not here for any post. I am here to serve the people of Maharashtra and the country." To recall, Chavan resigned from the Congress's primary membership on Monday and, a day later, officially joined the BJP. Polls for 56 Rajya Sabha seats will be held on February 27.
Why does this story matter?
According to political experts, Chavan's nomination is a strategic play by the BJP to bolster its presence in Maharashtra. While others think it is an attempt to cause discord within the Congress. Notably, Chavan's exit from the Congress follows the recent departures of senior Maharashtra Congress figures Baba Siddique and Milind Deora. Siddique has joined Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Deora has switched to the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena.
JP Nadda nominated from Gujarat
The BJP on Wednesday also named party chief JP Nadda as its candidate for Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat. Nadda is currently a Rajya Sabha member from Himachal Pradesh but the BJP does not have the numbers to win the lone seat from the Congress-ruled state. To be noted, the BJP's Central Election Committee has released its latest list of candidates for the upcoming biennial elections for the Upper House. It includes four names from Gujarat and three from Maharashtra.
BJP's new list of candidates for Rajya Sabha elections
The other three BJP candidates from Gujarat are Govindbhai Dholakia, Mayankbhai Nayak and Dr Jashvantsinh Parmar. The party has named Medha Kulkarni and Dr Ajit Gopchhade from Maharashtra. Earlier in the day, the BJP released its second list of candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections, fielding Union minister L Murugan, Maya Narollya, Bansilal Gurjar and Umesh Nath Maharai from Madhya Pradesh. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was named as BJP candidate from Odisha.
