BJP to field 3 candidates in RS polls: Sunil Sethi

Jammu : The BJP on Saturday announced its decision to contest all Rajya Sabha seats scheduled for election on October 24.

Speaking to the news agency, BJP spokesperson Sunil Sethi said, “We have decided to contest all seats. We are fielding three candidates.”

While the BJP will field one candidate each for the first two seats, it will field only one candidate for the remaining two seats, for which only one election will be held.

The BJP is expected to field the first two candidates for a ‘symbolic’ fight against the ruling NC-led alliance, which will win both these seats comfortably. However, the party is expected to field a heavyweight candidate for one of the two remaining seats, where it has strong chances of winning.

The BJP’s announcement to field candidates on all seats will ensure an election for the first two seats, which usually went uncontested in the past, as the ruling party would win them.

Addressing a press conference in Jammu, Sethi said that the focus of the meeting was on the kind of individuals needed to represent the party in the Rajya Sabha.

“It was not about specific individuals, but rather the qualities of individuals who can effectively represent the party in the Rajya Sabha,” he said.

He added that the views of the core group would be conveyed to the party high command.

As reported by last evening, Sunil Sethi, former president Ravinder Raina, and former deputy chief Minister Nirmal Singh are among frontrunners for RS ticket.

In the House, the National Conference-led alliance has 53 members, while the BJP has 28 members. The non-BJP opposition bloc comprises seven members.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Union Minister Jitendra Singh and BJP national general secretary and J&K in-charge, Tarun Chugh.

However, Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma was not present in the meeting—(KNO)