March 04, 2026 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced nine candidates for the upcoming biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha from six states. The elections are scheduled for March 16, and tomorrow is the last date for filing nominations.

In Bihar, where five Rajya Sabha seats are falling vacant, the BJP has nominated party chief Nitin Nabin and state leader Shivesh Kumar.

In Assam, which has three seats going to the polls, the party has fielded sitting MLA Terash Gowalla and cabinet minister Jogen Mohan. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the BJP will not contest the third seat as the party does not have the numbers to win it.

In Chhattisgarh, where two seats are due for election, the BJP has named Laxmi Verma, a member of the Chhattisgarh State Women Commission, as its candidate.

In Haryana, which also has two seats going to the polls, the party has nominated former Member of Parliament Sanjay Bhatia.

In Odisha, where four Rajya Sabha seats are up for election, the BJP has fielded the party’s state president Manmohan Samal and outgoing Rajya Sabha MP Sujeet Kumar.

In West Bengal, which has five seats going to the polls, the BJP has nominated former state unit president Rahul Sinha as its candidate.