The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday announced its candidates for the 2026 Rajya Sabha elections, fielding candidates from six states, including Bihar, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Odisha and West Bengal.
The party said in a press statement issued by its central office in New Delhi, that the Central Election Commission has approved the names of the upcoming elections on March 16.
From Bihar, the BJP nominated Nitin Nabin and Shivish Kumar. Nabin’s candidacy assumes added significance when he takes over as the BJP’s national president on January 20, marking a generational shift in the party’s top leadership.
Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi said Upendra Kushwaha will be the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha for the Rajya Sabha elections.
Read also: ‘Puppet of foreign powers’: BJP national president Nitin Nabin slams Kunj and Rahul
Nabin, a prominent face from Bihar, has held key organizational and ministerial responsibilities in the state and is considered close to the party’s central leadership.
The second candidate from Bihar, Shivish Kumar, is considered an experienced organizational hand in the party’s affairs at the state level.
In Assam, the BJP has fielded Tirash Jwala and Eugene Mohan, both of whom have been associated with the party’s expansion into the northeast.
From Chhattisgarh, Lakshmi Verma has been named as the candidate, while Haryana will see Sanjay Bhatia in the fray.
For Odisha, the party nominated Manmohan Samal and Sujit Kumar. In West Bengal, Rahul Sinha has been selected as the BJP’s candidate for the Senate.
Rajya Sabha elections are held every two years to fill the seats of members whose terms are due to expire, with legislators in the respective state assemblies voting to elect the candidates.
While the BJP has comfortable numbers in some states, contests in others could hinge on cross-voting or alliance calculations.
