Shekhawat joins BJP rally for Rajya Sabha nominees in Jaipur
Synopsis
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat joined top Rajasthan BJP leaders including CM Bhajanlal Sharma in Jaipur for a felicitation programme ahead of Satish Poonia and Alka Gurjar's Rajya Sabha nomination filing.
Key Takeaways
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attended a BJP felicitation event in Jaipur on June 8, 2026 .
The programme was held ahead of the formal Rajya Sabha nomination filing by Satish Poonia and Alka Gurjar .
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma , state BJP president Madan Rathore , and other senior leaders were present.
The BJP holds a legislative majority in Rajasthan following its 2023 assembly election victory, making it well-placed to win both seats.
The event signals unified organisational backing for the party's two Rajya Sabha nominees from the state.
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attended a felicitation programme in Jaipur on Monday, June 8, 2026, held ahead of the formal nomination filing by Rajasthan BJP's two Rajya Sabha candidates, Satish Poonia and Alka Gurjar.
Context
Shekhawat, a senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, shared his participation on X, noting that the event was a 'स्वागत कार्यक्रम' (welcome programme) organised before the nomination process. He described the gathering as one graced by the presence of several prominent party and government figures from the state.
The two candidates — Satish Poonia, a veteran Rajasthan BJP leader, and Alka Gurjar — are the party's picks for Rajya Sabha seats from the state. Biennial upper-house elections are a routine exercise in states where a party commands a legislative majority.
Policy Backdrop
The BJP swept the Rajasthan assembly elections in 2023, after which Bhajanlal Sharma was sworn in as Chief Minister. With a comfortable majority in the state legislature, the party is positioned to comfortably secure the Rajya Sabha seats for its nominees through the electoral college of MLAs.
Such pre-nomination felicitation events are a standard feature of BJP organisational culture, designed to project unity and mobilise legislator support ahead of the formal election process notified by the Election Commission of India.
Stakeholders and Impact
The programme brought together the state's top BJP leadership. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, state BJP president Madan Rathore, organisation general secretary Ajay Kumar, former minister Rajendra Rathore, and Lok Sabha MP Lumbaram Chaudhary were all present, signalling broad organisational alignment behind the two nominees.
For Satish Poonia, a former state party president, a Rajya Sabha berth would mark a transition to the upper house of Parliament. Alka Gurjar's candidature reflects the party's effort to ensure representation for the OBC community in its parliamentary slate from Rajasthan.
What's Next
The next formal step is the filing of nominations by Poonia and Gurjar, after which the Election Commission will confirm the schedule for the Rajya Sabha election from Rajasthan. Given the BJP's legislative numbers in the state, both candidates are widely expected to win. The election will strengthen the party's headcount in the upper house, which remains a strategic priority for the ruling coalition at the Centre.
Point of View
State president, and senior MPs at a single pre-nomination event, the party sends a clear signal of internal unity and leaves no room for dissent ahead of the Rajya Sabha vote. For Shekhawat, whose influence in Rajasthan BJP circles extends well beyond his Jodhpur constituency, participation reinforces his role as a key coordinator between the state unit and the central leadership. The candidatures of Poonia and Gurjar also reflect the party's calibrated balancing act between rewarding organisational veterans and addressing community representation.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the BJP's Rajya Sabha candidates from Rajasthan in 2026?
The BJP has fielded Satish Poonia and Alka Gurjar as its Rajya Sabha candidates from Rajasthan.
What was the event Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attended in Jaipur?
Shekhawat attended a felicitation programme organised by the Rajasthan BJP ahead of the formal nomination filing by its two Rajya Sabha candidates, Poonia and Gurjar.
Who is Satish Poonia?
Satish Poonia is a senior Rajasthan BJP leader and former state party president who has been nominated as a Rajya Sabha candidate from Rajasthan.
Will BJP win the Rajya Sabha seats from Rajasthan?
Given the BJP's comfortable majority in the Rajasthan state assembly since its 2023 election victory, both its candidates are widely expected to win the Rajya Sabha seats.
Who is the Chief Minister of Rajasthan?
Bhajanlal Sharma is the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, having been sworn in after the BJP's victory in the 2023 Rajasthan assembly elections .
