Rajya Sabha elections: All 8 BJP candidates in UP file nominations, set for unopposed win
Synopsis
With the BJP fielding eight candidates and the SP trimming its slate to two, Uttar Pradesh's 10 Rajya Sabha seats are set to be filled without a single vote being cast on 16 October — a clean sweep by arithmetic that underscores the BJP's commanding majority in the state assembly.
Key Takeaways
All eight BJP candidates from Uttar Pradesh filed Rajya Sabha nominations on 6 October 2026 .
The BJP nominees include Dharampal Singh , Radhakant Ojha , Prakash Pal , Vidyasagar Sonkar , Gopikrishna Pandey , Priyanka Singh Rawat , Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan , and Shruti Gangwar .
Samajwadi Party fielded only two candidates — Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhananjay Parimal Nathwani — dropping its third, eliminating the possibility of a contest.
With 10 candidates for 10 seats , an unopposed election is expected if no further nominations are filed and all papers are validated.
Voting is scheduled for 16 October ; scrutiny and the withdrawal window are still pending.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accompanied the BJP candidates during the nomination filing at the party's Lucknow state headquarters .
All eight Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates from Uttar Pradesh filed their Rajya Sabha nominations on Tuesday, 6 October, clearing the path for an unopposed election across all 10 Upper House seats in the state. The Samajwadi Party (SP) fielded only two candidates — down from an initial plan for three — effectively eliminating any contest.
The BJP Candidates
The BJP's eight nominees — Dharampal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopikrishna Pandey, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan, and Shruti Gangwar — were announced by the party on Monday. Dharampal Singh was the first to file his nomination, while Shruti Gangwar, daughter of Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar, filed last.
All eight candidates gathered at the BJP's state headquarters in Lucknow, where party workers received them with drums and trumpets. They were accompanied by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP State President Pankaj Chaudhary, and Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak during the filing process.
What the Candidates Said
Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan said after filing his papers: 'The party has decided to send me to the Upper House, and I will fulfil this responsibility as a party worker with full dedication.' He expressed gratitude to both the national and state leadership.
Prakash Pal, president of the OBC Morcha, stated that the BJP had 'generated enthusiasm among the backward classes' by fielding a 'common worker' like him. 'Long-term workers with dedication have the opportunity to reach important positions in the BJP,' he said. BJP State President Pankaj Chaudhary added that the BJP 'does what it preaches,' underscoring the party's positioning of the slate as grassroots representatives.
SP Drops Third Candidate, Ending Contest
The Samajwadi Party had initially been preparing to field a third candidate, which would have forced a vote. However, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's decision to limit the party to two candidates — Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhananjay Parimal Nathwani — meant the number of candidates matched the number of available seats exactly, making a contest unnecessary. Notably, this is the second consecutive Rajya Sabha cycle from UP where arithmetic has effectively pre-determined the outcome before polling day.
What Happens Next
Voting for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh is scheduled for 16 October. The last date for nomination filings was 6 October, with scrutiny of papers and the withdrawal window still pending. If no additional candidates enter the fray and all nominations are validated, polling will not be required. The election is widely expected to conclude without a vote.
Point of View
A governor's daughter, and long-serving party workers, suggesting a careful balancing of social engineering ahead of the next assembly cycle. Rajya Sabha elections in UP have increasingly become coronations rather than contests, raising the question of whether they serve any meaningful deliberative purpose in the current political configuration.
NationPress
6 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which BJP candidates filed Rajya Sabha nominations from Uttar Pradesh?
The eight BJP candidates are Dharampal Singh, Radhakant Ojha, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Gopikrishna Pandey, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan, and Shruti Gangwar. All eight filed their nominations on 6 October 2026 at the BJP's state headquarters in Lucknow.
Will there be voting for UP's Rajya Sabha seats on 16 October?
Voting is likely to be cancelled if no additional candidates file nominations and all existing papers are validated, since the number of candidates exactly equals the number of seats. The scrutiny of nominations and the withdrawal window are still pending before a final call can be made.
Why did the Samajwadi Party not field a third candidate?
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav decided to limit the party's slate to two candidates — Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhananjay Parimal Nathwani — dropping the third. This decision removed the possibility of a contest, as the total number of candidates now matches the available seats.
Who is Shruti Gangwar, the last BJP candidate to file her nomination?
Shruti Gangwar is the daughter of Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar. She filed her Rajya Sabha nomination last among the eight BJP candidates on 6 October 2026 in Lucknow.
What is the significance of the BJP's candidate list for Rajya Sabha from UP?
The BJP's slate is seen as socially balanced, featuring the OBC Morcha president Prakash Pal, former Barabanki MP Priyanka Singh Rawat, and long-serving party workers, reflecting the party's effort to project grassroots and community representation ahead of future electoral cycles.
