BJP Announces Candidates for Upcoming Rajya Sabha Elections from Maharashtra
The Bharatiya Janata Party has announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, featuring prominent figures like Ramdas Athawale and Vinod Tawde from Maharashtra. The party's selection includes candidates from various states, with elections scheduled for March 16. This article delves into the details of the candidates and the election process, highlighting the political landscape as the BJP prepares for this significant event.
| Mar 4, 2026, 16:45 IST
BJP Reveals Candidates for Rajya Sabha Elections
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has officially announced four candidates from Maharashtra for the upcoming biennial Rajya Sabha elections on Wednesday. Among the nominees are Union Minister Ramdas Athawale and BJP General Secretary Vinod Tawde, along with two other candidates.
Ramdas Athawale, who currently serves as the party president and Union Minister, is seeking another term in the Rajya Sabha, while Vinod Tawde is making his debut attempt to enter the upper house. Additionally, Ramrao Wadkute and Maya Chitman Iwante have also been selected as candidates. Previously, the BJP released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha biennial elections, approving nine names from six states.
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According to an official press release, this announcement was made by the party's central election committee from its headquarters in New Delhi. From Bihar, the party has nominated National President Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar. In Assam, the candidates are Terash Gowala and Jogen Mohan, while Laxmi Verma will contest from Chhattisgarh. Sanjay Bhatia is the candidate from Haryana. Manmohan Samal and Sujit Kumar will represent the party from Odisha, and Rahul Sinha has been selected from West Bengal. In addition to the BJP, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has also announced four candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections: Babul Supriyo, Rajiv Kumar, Menaka Guruswamy, and Koel Mallick.
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Babul Supriyo, a former Union Minister who later joined the Trinamool Congress, currently serves as the Minister of Information Technology and Electronics in the West Bengal government. Rajiv Kumar is the former Director General of Police in West Bengal. Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy is known for her legal work in constitutional matters, while Koel Mallick is a prominent figure in the Bengali film industry. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that voting for the upcoming Rajya Sabha biennial elections will take place on March 16, with counting starting at 5 PM on the same day and concluding by March 20. These elections will cover 37 seats across ten states: Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana, with the current terms of office expiring in April 2026.