BJP eyes all 11 Gujarat Rajya Sabha seats, Congress fails to field a single candidate
Synopsis
Congress could not field a single candidate for the Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections — a stark symbol of its collapse in the state. With only 12 MLAs in the assembly, the party is mathematically shut out, and the BJP is poised to hold all 11 of Gujarat's Upper House seats simultaneously for the first time since the state was formed in 1960.
Key Takeaways
BJP filed nominations for all four Rajya Sabha candidates from Gujarat on 8 June : Raju Shukla , Mansinh Parmar , Mukesh Rathwa , and Jitendra Kanzariya .
Congress could not field any candidate, having only 12 MLAs in the Gujarat assembly — insufficient to secure a Rajya Sabha seat.
The BJP is on course to hold all 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat, which would be a first since the state's formation in 1960 .
Congress has been out of power in Gujarat for 30 years , since 1995 .
Voting, if required, is scheduled for 18 June ; nomination scrutiny is on 9 June and the withdrawal deadline is 11 June .
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, 8 June filed nominations for all four of its candidates for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat, with the party's state leadership declaring that Congress lacked the legislative numbers to even contest — a direct consequence, they argued, of 30 years of uninterrupted BJP dominance in the state.
Four Nominees, One Unopposed Sweep
The nomination papers of Raju Shukla, Mansinh Parmar, Mukesh Rathwa, and Jitendra Kanzariya were submitted at the Gujarat Legislative Assembly in Gandhinagar. The filing took place in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, BJP state president Jagdish Vishwakarma, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker Purnesh Modi, and several state ministers and senior party leaders.
All four nominees are described by the party as grassroots workers who rose through the BJP organisation. They were selected, according to Vishwakarma, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP national president Nitin Nabin.
What the BJP Said
State government spokesperson and minister Jitu Vaghani told reporters that the situation was a direct reflection of the political mandate the BJP had accumulated over decades. 'In Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the people have elected BJP representatives with such an overwhelming majority that Congress is not even in a position to file nominations for the Rajya Sabha today,' Vaghani said.
He added: 'For the past 30 years, the people of Gujarat have kept Congress away from power, which clearly shows how unsuccessful Congress rule must have been in the past.'
Vishwakarma went further, framing the moment as a milestone in Gujarat's post-formation political history. 'With BJP members being elected to all 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat, a new record will be created, and this event will be inscribed in golden letters in the pages of history,' he said.
The Numbers Behind the Claim
The BJP's confidence is grounded in arithmetic. Congress currently holds only 12 seats in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly — far short of the threshold needed to secure a Rajya Sabha seat through the single transferable vote system. The BJP's commanding assembly majority effectively renders the Upper House election a formality in the state.
This comes amid a broader pattern: Gujarat has not had a Congress government since 1995, and the party's tally in the state legislature has steadily eroded over successive elections. Notably, this would be the first time since Gujarat's formation in 1960 that all 11 of its Rajya Sabha seats are held simultaneously by a single party.
Election Timeline
Scrutiny of nomination papers is scheduled for 9 June. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is 11 June. Voting, if required, will take place on 18 June. Given the current assembly composition, a contest is considered unlikely.
The four candidates, upon filing their nominations, said they would serve as 'the voice of Gujarat's 6.5 crore people' in Parliament and contribute to national policymaking toward the goal of a developed India by 2047.
Point of View
But the story here is less about BJP strength and more about Congress's structural collapse in Gujarat. Winning Rajya Sabha seats unopposed because the opposition cannot muster the numbers is not a competitive victory — it is a vacancy. The real question is whether Congress's 12-MLA floor in the assembly represents a nadir or a baseline for eventual recovery. Gujarat has historically been a laboratory for BJP's organisational model, and a permanently weakened opposition in the state has implications for legislative accountability that go beyond electoral scorecards.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which BJP candidates filed nominations for the Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections?
The four BJP nominees are Raju Shukla, Mansinh Parmar, Mukesh Rathwa, and Jitendra Kanzariya. Their papers were filed on 8 June at the Gujarat Legislative Assembly in Gandhinagar.
Why did Congress not field any candidate for the Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections?
Congress currently holds only 12 seats in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, which is not enough to secure a Rajya Sabha seat under the single transferable vote system. The BJP's commanding assembly majority leaves no viable path for Congress to win an Upper House seat from the state.
What would it mean if BJP wins all 11 Gujarat Rajya Sabha seats?
It would mark the first time since Gujarat's formation in 1960 that a single party holds all 11 of the state's Rajya Sabha seats simultaneously. BJP state president Jagdish Vishwakarma described it as a historic record.
What is the election schedule for the Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls?
Scrutiny of nominations is on 9 June, the last date for withdrawal is 11 June, and voting — if required — is scheduled for 18 June. Given the current assembly composition, a contest is considered unlikely.
How long has Congress been out of power in Gujarat?
Congress has not held power in Gujarat for 30 years, having last governed the state in 1995. The party's assembly tally has declined steadily over successive elections, reaching a current low of 12 MLAs.
