News Analysis India

Tag: Himachal Pradesh

  • Giu village in Himachal Pradesh gets mobile network for first time, PM Modi speaks to residents. Watch video

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to residents of Giu village in Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti after the area was connected to the mobile network for the first time. In a more than 13-minute telephonic conversation with them, Modi spoke about his visit to the border region during Diwali and asserted that connecting the village with the mobile network will quicken the ‘Digital India’ campaign.

    The government is now prioritising linking all places with the communication technology after meeting success with the electrification exercise, the prime minister said, noting that when he came to power more than 18,000 villages lacked electricity.

    A villager told him that they could not believe it for a moment when they were told that the area will be connected to the mobile network and their happiness knew know no bounds when it finally happened. They had to earlier travel for around eight kilometres to use their mobile-phones, he said.

    Modi highlighted his government’s efforts to boost development in border areas under the ‘Vibrant Village Programme (VVP)’, saying the earlier dispensations left these regions to their fate.

    In his third term, he will focus on people’s quality of life after prioritising their ease of living so far and this will immensely benefit remote regions, the poor and the middle class, Modi said.

    The region will also benefit a lot from the ‘One District One Product’ programme, he added.

  • mandi: “Ready to contest elections from Mandi Lok Sabha seat…”: Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh

    Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Minister and Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh on Monday said that he is ready to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Mandi constituency.

    “If party directs then I am ready to contest elections from Mandi. Whosoever will be the candidate will ensure the victory of Congress from Mandi. The Central Election committee would meet on the April 13 and the name will be finalized soon. My name is also in the panel ,her (Pratibha Singh) name is also there and she has served the people for a long time. We shall fight the elections to win,” Vikramaditya Singh told ANI.

    “The Central Election committee would meet on the April 13 and the name will be finalized soon. My name is also in the panel ,her (Pratibha Singh) name is also there and she has served the people for a long time. We shall fight the elections to win,” Vikramaditya Singh added.He further said that Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Kangana Ranaut should have visited the Mandi constituency when the region was severely affected by disaster.

    “This was the biggest disaster of the century for Himachal Pradesh. I want to ask whether she was present in the area . As she claims her house is in Manali and she belongs to Mandi, was she able to meet the people of Manali or she visited the people of Sarkaghat during disaster, So visiting Mandi right before the elections is not right. These issues will come in the campaign in near future and people will ask whether she contributed in the Chief Minister’s relief fund,” Vikramaditya Singh told ANI.

    Himachal Pradesh Minister further said that people will decide to elect its representative after seeing that who has contributed much to this region.”I have been among the people during the past one year and serving people ,we understand the pulse of the people ,we shall definitely win. In these elections a person doesn’t matter, I have been saying that whosoever does any personal remarks on her I shall stand by her. The Mandi Parliamentary Constituency will see development issues and contributions,” he said.Himachal Pradesh has four Lok Sabha seats: Hamirpur, Mandi, Shimla, and Kangra. The BJP had won all four seats in 2019. The elections to the four Lok Sabha seats of Himachal Pradesh and by-polls to the six assembly constituencies that fell vacant with the disqualification of six rebel Congress MLAs will be held on June 1.

  • Mandi Lok Sabha seat: Why Pratibha Singh refused to contest against BJP’s Kangana Ranaut – The Economic Times Video

    Himachal Pradesh Congress President Pratibha Singh has responded to the political speculation surrounding the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and the possibility of her facing off against BJP’s Kangana Ranaut. Pratibha Singh, the wife of the late Virbhadra Singh, the six-time Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, currently represents the Mandi constituency of Himachal Pradesh. When asked about her stance on contesting against Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut for the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, here’s what she said. Watch!

  • 11 Himachal MLAs Including 6 Congress Rebels In Uttarakhand Amid Political Turmoil |

    A group of 11 MLAs from Himachal Pradesh arrived in BJP-governed Uttarakhand on Saturday amid the ongoing unrest within the Congress party in the state, led by Chief Minister Sikhvinder Singh Sukhu. A bus bearing Haryana’s number plate reached Taj Hotel in Rishikesh today, with the 11 MLAs, comprising six rebel Congress members and three independent MLAs, were seen entering the hotel under high security. 

    CM Sukhu spoke to the reporters about the current situation in the state of Himachal Pradesh, he said, “Some MLAs are sad. They have been kept under CRPF security. Is this how democracy will remain strong? Horsetrading weakens the democracy.” He added that he learned through social media that the rebel MLAs were taken away from the hotel in Panchkula, and a charter plane departed from Chandigarh airport. “I’m uncertain about their destination. The pressure from their family members to return prompted this move,” stated Sukhu. 

    After abstaining from voting on the budget and engaging in cross-voting during last month’s Rajya Sabha polls against party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, six Congress members were disqualified by Himachal Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania. Pathania explained that the six MLAs, contesting on the Congress symbol, violated anti-defection laws. 

    The Congress MLAs Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhutoo, Ravi Thakur, and Chetanya Sharma, along with three independent legislators—Hoshyar Singh, K L Thakur, and Ashish Sharma—voted for BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls. 

    Upon reaching Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun on Friday, the 11 MLAs then headed to the hotel in Rishikesh. This sequence of events occurred subsequent to Chief Minister Sukhu’s recent trip to Delhi for discussions with the Congress leadership. During this visit, he presented a report on the present political scenario in the state. 

  • Who Is Vikramaditya Singh? Himachal MLA Who Resigned From Sukhu Government |

    In a huge shock for the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Government in Himachal Pradesh, Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh has resigned from his post of minister today. This occurred merely a day following the party’s defeat in the Rajya Sabha elections in the state, despite holding a decisive majority.

     Notably, Vikramaditya is the son of the former CM of Himachal Pradesh, Virbhadra Singh.  In 2022, Vikramaditya Singh won Shimla Rural Assembly Elections by defeating Ravi Mehta of the Bharatiya Janata Party with a margin of 13860 votes.

    He resigned from the post of State Congress Minister today after expressing his agitation towards the party. He also said that the MLAs are being humiliated several times in the party.

    Vikramaditya Singh Education And Profession

    Former Congress Minister Vikramaditya Singh was born on 17th October 1989. He is a postgraduate in Masters of Arts (History)from St. Stephen College Delhi in the year 2016. He has done his  B.A. (Hons) in 2011 from Hans Raj College Delhi University. By Profession, he is an Agriculturist, a Horticulturist, and a Businessman.

    He became the MLA in Himachal Pradesh twice. Additionally, he served as the chief of the Himachal Pradesh State Youth Congress from 2013 to 2018.

    In a surprising turn of events on Tuesday in Himachal Pradesh politics, Abhishek Manu Singhvi of the ruling Congress suffered defeat in the Rajya Sabha election to the BJP’s Harsh Mahajan, despite the Congress holding a substantial majority in the state assembly.

    Both contenders secured 34 votes each in the 68-member state assembly. Mahajan clinched victory through a draw of lots, serving as the tie-breaker.

  • Himachal Pradesh politics: Himachal Pradesh Min Vikramaditya Singh steps down; says MLAs were made to stifle their voices

    Himachal Pradesh Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Wednesday stepped down from his position, a day after the Rajya Sabha election result in the state.

    “The (state) government failed to find even a small piece of land on Mall Road to install the statue of a person (Virbhadra Singh) who was the CM of Himachal Pradesh six times, because of whom this government was formed,” he said.

    He said, “All I would like to say is that under the current circumstances, it is not correct for me to continue as a part of the government. So, I have decided that I am resigning from the Council of Ministers. I am resigning as a minister. In the time to come, I will have video consultations with my people and then decide about the future course of action…””For me, the most important thing is the relationship with the people of Himachal Pradesh,” he added.

    “But the kind of system prevailing in the government in last one year, how MLAs were overlooked and attempts were made to stifle their voices – this is a result of that,” he said.

    In a shocking political development in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, the ruling Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost the Rajya Sabha election to the BJP’s Harsh Mahajan despite the Congress enjoying a comfortable majority in the state assembly.Both candidates secured 34 votes each in the 68-member state assembly.Victory tilted towards Mahajan after a draw of lots was held as a tie-breaker.

    The victory is even more detrimental in the wake of former BJP Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur’s claim that the Sukhu government has been reduced to a minority in the house.

    However, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi conceded his defeat and ‘thanked’ the MLAs who cross-voted leading to the victory of Harsh Mahajan.

    “I would also like to thank the nine persons (MLAs) because they have taught me a lot about human nature, its fickleness or its resoluteness. They supped with us. So, I think we are bad judges of human character, they are obviously better judges of human character,” he said.

    Earlier, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had claimed that opposition leaders were obstructing the work of counting officials, and that “5-6 Congress MLAs were taken away in a convoy of the CRPF and Haryana Police.

    “I have clearly said that I have briefed the party high command regarding the actual situation. Now the ball is in the court of the party high command, they have to decide what the future course of action will be. But I have been very clear and very categorical in what I had to say. It has been said in very clear terms…Whatever has to happen in the time to come will be done with the party high command in due discussions and deliberations. I am sure that whatever decision will be taken, it will be taken in the larger interest of the organisation, of the party, and the people of this state,” said Vikramaditya.

    (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)

  • Himachal Crisis Live Updates: BJP Delegation Meets Governor; Will Sukhu-Led Congress Government Fall? |

    In Himachal Pradesh, the political turmoil is being claimed by the BJP. This morning, a delegation of BJP MLAs including Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla to make him aware of the developments that took place in the last few days. It includes denial of cut motions and division voting on the finance bill and cross-voting by the Congress MLAs in the Rajya Sabha election. Despite claiming the support of around 45 MLAs including independents, the Congress got just 34 votes. A cross-voting by the Congress and independent MLAs saw the BJP tally going up to 34 despite having just 25 seats. 

    08.50 AM: Watch: BJP Delegation led by LoP Jairam Thakur Meets Himachal Governor

    #WATCH | Shimla: Himachal Pradesh LoP Jairam Thakur along with BJP’s legislative party met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla at Raj Bhawan. pic.twitter.com/ZmnpXI2mxm
    — ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024

    BJP Meets Governor

    BJP has claimed that the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government in the state has lost its majority. Before meeting the governor today, former CM ahd LoP Jairam Thakur said, “We will apprise the Governor about what happened in the Assembly. We demanded division during the vote on the financial bill, it wasn’t allowed. The House was adjourned twice. This is not right, it has never happened in Himachal Pradesh. The government has lost the moral right to stay in power.”

    Number Game

    In the 2022 Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, the Congress emerged victorious with 40 seats out of the 68-member house. Additionally, the party secured the backing of three independent MLAs.  The majority mark is 35. The BJP, on the other hand, attained 25 seats. There is speculation that if Congress loses the support of nine MLAs, its count would decrease to 31 MLAs.

    Options With Congress

    If the BJP demands a trust vote, the Assembly speaker may disqualify the rebel Congress MLAs as they not only violated party’s whip but also indulged in anti-party activity by cross voting. In that case, the majority mark will come down benefitting the Congress. 

    Congress MLAs In Panchkula

    After yesterday’s cross-voting, many Congress MLAs are in Panchkula along with some BJP MLAs. Zee News TV also reported that many Congress MLAs are upset with CM Sukhu and have urged the party’s high command to change the Chief Minister. 

    Congress Rushes Observers

    After the cross-voting led to the defeat of the Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha, the grand old party rushed two observers – Bhupinder Singh Hooda and DK Shivakumar – to Shimla. They will meet the MLAs and the Chief Minister to bring the situation under control and prevent the collapse of the Sukhu government.

  • CM Sukhu-led Congress government may topple in Himachal, claims BJP’s Jairam Thakur

    Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jairam Thakur on Tuesday claimed that the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government is in a minority in the state.

    When asked if the State BJP would demand a floor test, Thakur said, “The budget will be presented tomorrow. We will discuss the budget tomorrow and then we will see the situation there. But I can see that the government has lost the majority.”

    Voting is underway for a high-octane Rajya Sabha election battle in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, and the BJP has exuded hope in its candidate winning the poll.67 out of the total 68 legislators have exercised their votes in the ongoing Rajya Sabha elections in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Sudarshan Singh Babloo, Congress MLA, has not come so far due to illness. He was hospitalised.

    There is fierce competition in Himachal Pradesh for the sole Rajya Sabha seat between Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and the BJP’s Harsh Mahajan.

    Harsh Mahajan is a three-time Congress MLA and former minister who resigned from the party in September 2022 ahead of the Assembly polls and joined the BJP.Notably, the Congress has a clear majority with 40 out of 68 MLAs and the support of three independent MLAs. Despite the fact that the BJP, with 25 MLAs, is far behind in the number game, it has forced a contest by fielding Mahajan against Singhvi.Earlier on Sunday, the Congress issued a whip to its MLAs to vote for party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

    Following the whip, all the candidates will have to show the ballot to the authorised agent, who can declare a vote invalid if any MLA refuses to show the ballot.

    On Monday, the BJP nominee complained to the Chief Election Commissioner, saying that the Congress has issued a three-line whip to its MLAs for the polls, which he said was unethical.

    “Such a whip is not only unethical but also against the conducting of elections to the Rajya Sabha as it will affect the decision-making ability of the MLAs,” Harsh Mahajan said in his complaint.

    After the complaint was filed, the Congress hit out at BJP State Minister Harsh Wardhan Chauhan, who said that the charges to the poll body were a result of ‘frustration’ in the BJP.

    Harsh Wardhan Chauhan, the Himachal Pradesh Minister, alleged that the BJP is planning “horse trading”.

    “This is the BJP’s frustration because the number of MLAs is not in favour of the BJP. 40 MLAs are with Congress, and 3 are independent. The BJP only has 25 MLAs. …even without numbers, BJP is fielding their candidate, which means they’re planning horse trading…” Chauhan said.

    Voting for 56 Rajya Sabha seats from 15 states, which are falling vacant in April, is being held on Tuesday.

    The term for Rajya Sabha MPs is six years, and elections are held after every two years for 33 per cent of the seats. Currently, the Rajya Sabha has a strength of 245 members.

    The Rajya Sabha MPs are elected by the MLAs in an indirect election through the system of proportional representation. They are mostly foregone conclusions, with elections being held unopposed and all party candidates sailing through.

    (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)

  • Rajya Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates: Cross-Voting In UP, HP May Benefit BJP |

    Voting for the Rajya Sabha elections in three states – Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh – are underway with 15 seats up for grabs. The polls are likely to be highly competitive for three seats in two states governed by the Congress and one seat in Uttar Pradesh. Due to the fear of cross-voting in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, the Congress and Samajwadi Party are keeping a close eye on their MLAs. In a setback for the Samajwadi Party, while an MLA (Manoj Kumar Pandey) resigned from the party, two other indicated that they will vote for the ruling party candidate. According to Zee News TV, at least 7 SP MLAs held a meeting with the BJP minister.

    On Samajwadi Party MLA Manoj Kumar Pandey’s resignation, UP Minister Dayashankar Singh said, “Manoj Pandey has always been a supporter of Sanatana Dharma. He has always been giving statements regarding the same. He wanted everyone to visit Ayodhya and have a darshan. This is the reason he is showing faith in PM Modi’s leadership and is taking such a decision…”

    02.20 PM: According to Zee News TV, the affirmative reports of cross-voting have come from both Himachal Pradesh and UP, 7 MLAs from UP, while 8-10 MLAs from Himachal Pradesh’s Congress have allegedly voted for the BJP. Sudhir Sharma, Rajeev Rana, Ravi Thakur, Davinder Kumar (Bhutto), Chaitanya Sharma, and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal are some names who have reportedly voted for the BJP. 

    01:55 PM: Karnataka JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy said, “Congress has been disturbing JD(S) MLAs everyday. Each day they have been saying that more than 12-13 JD(S) are ready to join Congress. To show our strength, we put forward a candidate in this election.”

    01.45 PM: On speculation of cross-voting, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Sukhu said, “We have 40 MLAs. If no one is sold, then we will receive 40 out of 40 votes. (Agar koi bika nahi hoga toh humein 40/40 votes aayenge).”

    01.36 PM: In response to speculations about cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections by Karnataka BJP leader ST Somashekar, Congress MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao asserts our unity remains unshaken. He added, “For the BJP, it has become a practice to use any method to win.”

    01.22 PM: ST Somashekar, BJP MLA Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) said that sometimes such things happen. He added, “The party had given clear direction to vote for BJP-JD(S) candidates.”

    01.15 PM: UP’s Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) leader Raja Bhaiya affirmed that 8candidates from BJP will win. “We had made it clear that Jansatta Dal will support BJP candidates,” he added.

    01.03 PM: Voting concluded for the Rajya Sabha polls of Himachal Pradesh, a total of 68 MLAs voted.

    12.40 PM: Responding to the rumours of cross-voting Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Virbhadra Singh accused the BJP of using money power. “We will see when the results come out and face the situation. We will sail through, we have the majority,” she added. While, Himachal Pradesh minister & Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh said my conscience is clear.

    12.33 PM: On rumors of cross-voting in Rajya Sabha elections, BJP Chief in Karnataka Assembly, Doddanagouda G. Patil says, “It is confirmed that ST Somashekar has cross-voted. We are discussing what can be done and what action to be taken.”

    12.24 PM: On Himachal Rajya Sabha elections, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said”…All our MLAs have voted for the elections. I hope they have all voted on the ideology of the party. We can only say anything once the results are declarred. ‘BJP mein antar-aatma naam ki chiz nahi hai, waha toh paisa antar-aatma chalta hai’…”

    12.14 PM: A number of cross votings were witnesses in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh during the ongoing Rajya Sabha polls. While SBSP MLA Jagdish Narayan, part of the BJP-led NDA alliance, voted for the Samajwadi Party, several SP MLAs voted for the BJP candidate. These MLAs include Manoj Pandey, Rakesh Pratap Singh and Pallavi Patel. In Karnataka, BJP MLA S. T. Somashekhar cross-voted in favour of the Congress. 

    12.05 PM: Reacting to the cross-voting, Akhilesh Yadav said that the BJP manipulated and lured MLAs by hook and crook method. Yadav alleged that some MLAs were offered various incentives while some were threatened. “Not everybody has the guts to stand against the Government…pressure is put on everybody, is there anyone who doesn’t know that BJP would go to any extent to win. BJP was dishonest during Chandigarh elections also… When it comes to UP, BJP did everything to get votes and those who left, might not have had the guts to stand against the govt. Action will be taken because our party leaders want such people to be kept away from the party,” said Yadav.

    12.00 Noon: On Karnataka Rajya Sabha elections, Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad said, “There will be no cross-voting. Congress candidates will get more votes than required. If people from some other party want to vote for us, then we won’t say no to it.”

    11.40 AM: Reacting to the BJP-JDS fielding additional candidate, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said, “They (BJP) have also fielded candidate to win the elections, but for the 5th candidate they required 45 votes, do they have 45 votes? How will they win without numbers? Though they know that they don’t have numbers they fielded Kupendra Reddy and they tried to poach our MLAs, that’s why an FIR has been lodged against him. I’m sure all our 3 candidates are going to win.”

    Resort Politics In Karnataka

    Ruling Congress in Karnataka has relocated its MLAs to a hotel to safeguard them from external pressures. On Monday, the Congress shifted all its MLAs to a hotel, marking the beginning of the state’s trademark resort politics. All parties have issued whips to their MLAs ahead of today’s election. On Monday, Janardhan Reddy, Karnataka MLA and chief of Kalyana Karnataka Pragati Paksha, met CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar after he announced his support for Congress in the Rajya Sabha election. This further solidifies Congress’s winning chances. 

    While the Congress had a smooth path in securing four of Karnataka’s three seats due to its numerical strength, the BJP-Janata Dal Secular alliance complicated matters by nominating a second candidate. If there were four candidates, each would need 45 votes to win; however, in the case of additional candidates, preference votes would come into play. The Congress with 135 MLAs has the exact number to elect its three candidates, Ajay Maken, Nasir Hussain and G C Chandrashekhar.

    The entry of multi-millionaire real estate baron, D Kupendra Reddy, a Janata Dal (Secular)-BJP candidate has turned the elections to the fourth seat into a keen contest. Reddy, who declared Rs 1,200 crore assets in his election affidavit, has been fielded by the JD(S)-BJP combine. Reddy is confident that he will get the votes to win the election. Earlier, the Congress has complained that MLAs are being blackmailed to vote for Kupendra Reddy. A Congress delegation filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Police Commissioner. The BJP has 66 MLAs, which means it can easily get its main candidate, party worker Narayansa Bhandage, elected. Combined with the 19 JD(S) MLAs, the BJP-JDs second candidate Kupendra Reddy will need to get support of three Independents and get at least three Congress MLAs to cross-vote if he wants to win.

    Khela In Uttar Pradesh

    In Uttar Pradesh, the cross-voting fear has gripped the Samajwadi Party but the leading opposition party has maintained that all is well. According to Zee News TV sources, 8 to 10 of the Samajwadi Party MLAs may vote for the BJP alliance. The ruling BJP and SP had sufficient support to secure the unopposed election of seven and three members to the Rajya Sabha, respectively. However, the BJP escalated the competition by nominating Sanjay Seth, a former SP member and industrialist, as its eighth candidate. To secure an election, a candidate from the state requires approximately 37 first-preference votes.

    Ahead of voting, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav hoped that all three candidates of his party will win despite the BJP’s tactics. “BJP will do everything possible for victory. Some of our leaders who want personal gains can go to the BJP,” said Yadav expressing apprehension of the cross-voting.

    The SP has put forward Jaya Bachchan, an actor-MP, retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan, and Dalit leader Ramji Lal Suman. This decision has reportedly caused a rift with ally Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) leader Pallavi Patel, who expressed disagreement with the choice of Bachchan and Ranjan and stated she would abstain from voting.

    Congress’s Whip To MLAs In Himachal 

    In Himachal Pradesh, the actions taken were not as extreme as in Karnataka. The party has warned its MLAs about the election of its lone Rajya Sabha seat.  The focal point of the Congress’ contest in the state is its senior leader, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, pitted against the BJP’s core committee member, Harsh Mahajan. The Congress enjoys a clear majority with 40 MLAs, while the BJP has 25 members. Three MLAs, including two BJP rebels, identify as independents. Sources indicate that the BJP is currently seeking to woo dissatisfied Congress MLAs. 

    41 MPs Elected Unopposed

    Elections were due for 56 Rajya Sabha seats but since 41 leaders were elected unopposed including former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, BJP chief JP Nadda, Ashok Chavan, Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and L Murugan, the elections are being held for 15 seats in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh.

  • Rajya Sabha polls: Nominations filing for Rajya Sabha polls ends; Check full list of candidates here

    BJP chief J P Nadda, Ashok Chavan, a recent addition to the party, and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi are among the candidates competing in the Rajya Sabha elections, as the deadline for submitting nominations concluded on Thursday.

    The biennial elections are scheduled on February 27 in 56 seats – 10 in Uttar Pradesh, six each in Maharashtra and Bihar, five each in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, four each in Gujarat and Karnataka, three each in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Odisha, and one each in Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

    However, a majority of the candidates are likely to get elected unopposed. February 20 is the last date of withdrawing candidature. Voting is scheduled to take place from 9 am to 4 pm on February 27 and the counting will be held on the same day from 5 pm onwards.Here is the complete list of all the candidates:

    Uttar Pradesh:

    CandidatePartyR P N SinghBJPChaudhary Tejveer SinghBJPAmarpal MauryaBJPSangeeta BalwantBJPSudhanshu TrivediBJP Sadhna SinghBJPNaveen JainBJPSanjay SethBJP Jaya BachchanSPRamjilal Suman SPAlok RanjanSPGujarat:CandidatePartyJP NaddaBJPJashvantsinh Parmar BJPMayank NayakBJPGovind DholakiaBJPRajasthan:CandidatePartySonia GandhiCongressChunnilal GarasiyaBJPMadan Rathore BJP

    Maharashtra:

    CandidatePartyAshok ChavanBJPMedha KulkarniBJPAjit GopchhadeBJPMilind DeoraShiv SenaChandrakant HandoreCongressPraful PatelNCP

    Odisha:

    Ashwini VaishnawBJPDebashish SamantarayBJDSubhasish KhuntiaBJD

    Madhya Pradesh:

    L MuruganBJPDalit seer Umesh Nath MaharajBJPMaya NaroliyaBJPBanshilal GurjarBJPAshok SinghCongress

    Karnataka:

    CandidatePartyAjay MakenCongressNaseer HussainCongress G C ChandrasekharCongressNarayana Krishanasa BhandageBJP

    West Bengal:

    CandidatePartySagarika GhoseTMCSushmita DevTMCMohammad Nadimul HaqueTMCMamta Bala Thakur TMCSamik BhattacharyaBJP

    Himachal Pradesh:

    CandidatePartyAbhishek Manu SinghviCongress

    Telangana:

    CandidatePartyRenuka Chowdhury CongressM Anil Kumar YadavCongress

    Bihar:

    CandidatePartyAkhilesh Prasad SinghCongressManoj Kumar JhaRJDSanjay Yadav RJDSanjay Kumar JhaJDUBhim Singh BJPDharamsheela GuptaBJP

    Chhattisgarh:

    CandidatePartyDevendra Pratap SinghBJP

    Haryana:

    CandidatePartySubhash BaralaBJP

    Uttarakhand:

    CandidatePartyMahendra BhattBJP

    Andhra Pradesh:

    CandidatePartyGola Babu RaoYSRCPYV Subba ReddyYSRCPMeda Raghunath ReddyYSRCP

    (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)