BJP wins 8, SP wins 2 UP Rajya Sabha seats unopposed; BSP exits Upper House
Synopsis
The BJP has swept eight of ten Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh without a vote — and in doing so has quietly ended the BSP's presence in the Upper House from India's largest state. With Ram Gopal Yadav back and industrialist Nathwani entering for the first time, the SP consolidates to five UP seats. The 16 October vote is off; the bigger contest is 2027.
Key Takeaways
BJP wins 8 and SP wins 2 of 10 Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha seats, all declared unopposed on 9 October 2026 .
The 16 October vote has been cancelled as all seats were filled without contest.
BSP loses its only Rajya Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh, ending its Upper House representation from the state.
SP's Rajya Sabha strength rises to 5 , with Ram Gopal Yadav re-elected and industrialist Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani entering for the first time.
In Uttarakhand , BJP's Dinesh Kumar Arya , and in West Bengal , actress-turned-politician Koel Mallik , were also elected to the Rajya Sabha unopposed.
Outgoing members' tenures expire on 25 November , when the new MPs will take their seats.
Eight candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and two of the Samajwadi Party (SP) have been declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh on 9 October 2026, after nomination papers of two Independent candidates were rejected during scrutiny. The development eliminates the need for the voting round scheduled for 16 October and, critically, ends the Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) representation in the Rajya Sabha from India's most populous state.
The Elected Members
The eight BJP candidates elected to the Upper House from Uttar Pradesh are state Minister Dharm Pal Singh, BJP state OBC Morcha President Prakash Pal, Shruti Gangwar, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Radhakant Ojha, Gopi Krishna Pandey, and Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan.
The SP's two successful candidates are senior party leader and General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav — who has been re-elected — and industrialist Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani, who enters the Rajya Sabha for the first time. Returning Officer Ajit Kumar Verma completed all formalities on Friday and issued election certificates to the newly elected members at the state Assembly complex in Lucknow.
Key Reactions from Newly Elected MPs
Newly elected BJP MP Prakash Pal, speaking after receiving his certificate, said he had served the party in various capacities for the past 36 years and would now raise issues concerning the people of Uttar Pradesh and the country in Parliament. He also claimed the BJP would win 80 per cent of seats in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, with the opposition alliance securing the remaining 20 per cent.
Newly elected BJP MP Priyanka Singh Rawat described her election as a reflection of the party's worker-oriented organisational system, stating that dedicated grassroots workers could rise to senior positions. She also expressed confidence the BJP would form a government with a full majority in Uttar Pradesh in 2027.
Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani, in a post on X, thanked SP President Akhilesh Yadav for reposing faith in him, and said he would remain committed to advancing Akhilesh Yadav's vision for Uttar Pradesh's holistic development, modern infrastructure, and a brighter future for the youth in Parliament.
Impact on Rajya Sabha Composition
The results alter Uttar Pradesh's representation in the Rajya Sabha significantly. The SP's strength in the Upper House rises to five, with its other sitting members being Javed Ali, Ramji Lal Suman, and Jaya Bachchan. The tenures of the outgoing members end on 25 November. Of the 10 seats contested, the BJP had earlier held eight, while the SP and BSP held one each — meaning the BSP has now lost its sole UP seat in the Upper House.
Notably, the BSP's exit from Rajya Sabha representation from Uttar Pradesh marks a significant erosion for the party, which has seen its political footprint shrink steadily in recent election cycles.
Parallel Unopposed Results in Uttarakhand and West Bengal
Beyond Uttar Pradesh, the BJP also secured Rajya Sabha wins elsewhere. In Uttarakhand, BJP's Dinesh Kumar Arya, a Dalit leader from the Kumaon region, was elected unopposed with no other nomination filed. In West Bengal, Rukmini Mallik — also known as Koel Mallik, a Bengali film actress who recently joined the BJP — was similarly elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha, marking a notable political debut for the actress-turned-politician.
What Happens Next
With the scheduled 16 October vote now cancelled, all 10 newly elected Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh will take their seats when the current members' tenures expire on 25 November. The BJP's hold on eight of 10 UP Rajya Sabha seats reflects the party's commanding legislative majority in the state Assembly, the same arithmetic that will be tested again in the 2027 state elections.
Point of View
A structural decline that has accelerated with every passing election cycle and signals a party struggling to convert its social base into electoral arithmetic. The BJP's decision to field an OBC Morcha chief and a grassroots worker alongside established names also points to deliberate social engineering ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls. The SP's entry of industrialist Nathwani, meanwhile, signals an attempt to broaden its donor and business network — a quiet but telling organisational pivot.
NationPress
9 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh in October 2026?
Eight BJP candidates — Dharm Pal Singh, Prakash Pal, Shruti Gangwar, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Radhakant Ojha, Gopi Krishna Pandey, and Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan — and two SP candidates — Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani — were declared elected unopposed on 9 October 2026. The result cancelled the vote that had been scheduled for 16 October.
Why were the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha elections declared unopposed?
The elections were declared unopposed after the nomination papers of two Independent candidates were rejected during scrutiny, leaving no other candidates in the fray. With exactly ten valid nominees for ten seats, all were declared elected without a vote.
What happens to the BSP's Rajya Sabha representation after this result?
The BSP has lost its sole Rajya Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh as a result of this election. The party, which held one of the ten seats until now, did not field a candidate who cleared nomination scrutiny, ending its representation in the Upper House from UP.
How does this change the SP's strength in the Rajya Sabha?
The SP's total Rajya Sabha strength rises to five members. In addition to newly elected Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani, the party's other sitting members are Javed Ali, Ramji Lal Suman, and Jaya Bachchan.
Who else won Rajya Sabha seats unopposed in this round?
BJP's Dinesh Kumar Arya, a Dalit leader from Kumaon, was elected unopposed from Uttarakhand, while Rukmini Mallik — Bengali film actress also known as Koel Mallik who recently joined the BJP — was elected unopposed from West Bengal.
