(From left) Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Saraogi, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Bihar deputy CM Samrat Choudhary with party MP Ravi Shankar Prasad at a Holi Milan Samaroh in Patna on Tuesday NEW DELHI: BJP national president Nitin Nabin is set to make his debut in Rajya Sabha from his home state Bihar, with the party naming him as one of its nine candidates for the polls to 37 seats across 10 states in a list which has several first-timers but with considerable organisational experience.While BJP named both candidates from its quota in Bihar, Shivesh Kumar – a Dalit who had lost in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Sasaram – being the second nominee, suspense is building over the choice of JDU, which is yet to officially declare any name amid indications that it will repeat Union minister Ram Nath Thakur but may drop RS deputy chairperson Harivansh. Bihar Buzz: Will CM Nitish Kumar’s Son Nishant Kumar Enter Politics Through Rajya Sabha Route? A strong section within JDU is rooting for Nishant Kumar, the son of party president and CM Nitish Kumar whose nearly five-decade-long public life has been marked by opposition to dynastic politics but is facing pressure to bow to demand of party’s workers amid concerns in some quarters over his own health.Israel attacks IranUS-Israel-Iran War Live Updates: Iran launches ‘massive missile’ strike at US airbase in Bahrain; Israel bombs Beirut’Not happy with UK either’: Donald Trump slams European nations, singles out Spain over Iran campaignIran crisis: Ayatollah’s son Mojtaba Khamenei emerges as front-runner to succeed slain Supreme LeaderBoth Ram Nath Thakur, the son of noted socialist leader Karpoori Thakur, and Harivansh, a former journalist, have been in RS for two consecutive terms.Upendra Kushwaha is set to be repeated as an NDA candidate for the fifth seat, for which opposition parties may force a contest despite the confidence in the governing alliance of its win on the basis of its perceived numerical advantage due to lack of unity among its rivals.Nabin, an upper caste Kayastha and fifth-term MLA from Bihar, will be entering Parliament for the first time, a move that will cement his presence in national politics.Meanwhile, BJP has fielded its two Assam MLAs – Terash Gowalla and Jogen Mohan – from the poll-bound state, former LS MP Sanjay Bhatia from Haryana and its Odisha president Manmohan Samal and its ex-West Bengal president Rahul Sinha from West Bengal. Bhatia had made way from Karnal for former CM Manohar Lal Khattar, who is now a Union minister.Outgoing MP from Odisha Sujeet Kumar, who had quit BJD following the assembly elections in the state, is the only candidate BJP has repeated in this list. It is yet to release its list for Maharashtra, where seven seats are falling vacant and the governing alliance is set to bag six. Laxmi Verma, a Kurmi and someone who has worked her way up the party’s ranks in Chhattisgarh, is the lone woman candidate on the BJP’s list.BJP functionaries said the list is full of seasoned organisational hands emphasising the leadership’s decision to groom a new crop of members for key positions.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’We Saw Missiles..’: Recalls Indian Who Witnessed Dubai Horror Amid US-Iran War, Returns Home SafelyStrike Terror, Avoid Escalation’: Gp Capt Ajay Ahlawat on Op Sindoor DoctrineIsrael Bombs Iran’s Presidential Office, Trump Says Iran’s Leadership ‘Gone’, ‘Too Late For Talks’Mercedes Benz India: Why the FTA Won’t Lower Car Prices in 2026PM Modi Steps Up Gulf Diplomacy Amid US Iran War, India Warns Of Serious Consequences On EconomyBihar Buzz: Will CM Nitish Kumar’s Son Nishant Kumar Enter Politics Through Rajya Sabha Route?As Protests Break Out In India, A Look At Why Ayatollah Khamenei Was Spiritual Anchor For Shia Muslims“Not the Right Choice But The Only Choice”: IAF Veteran on Rafale DilemmaDelhi Police Detain 4,000 In Pre-Holi Crackdown Under Operation Aaghat 4.0Narendra Modi: Global Digital Leader Surpasses 30 Million YouTube Subscribers123Photostories14 types of veg and non-veg deep-fried pakodas to make the Holi party even more flavourfulRevenge bedtime procrastination: Why you stay up late even when you’re exhausted and how to win over this habitIs Gossip Really That Bad? 5 Surprising Reasons Psychology Says It’s Actually Good for YouLab-grown gold vs mined gold: What’s the real difference in price, purity, and investment value?Lunar eclipse 2026: See stunning ‘Blood Moon’ photos from across the worldTotal lunar eclipse 2026: Photos of rare ‘Blood Moon’Holi 2026: From Devoleena Bhattacharjee and husband Shanwaz, Gaurav Khanna-Akanksha Chamola to Divyanka Tripathi- Vivek Dahiya; TV celebs’ colourful pictures from the festivitiesTop 5 tallest residential buildings in Europe (2026)5 of the worst travel crisis the world has seen since 2020From salad to halwa: 8 ways to consume raw papaya to improve gut health123Hot PicksIran droneUS Iran War Impact on Stock MarketMiddle East CrisisGulf Flights UpdateIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays March 2026Bank Holidays MarchTop TrendingNBA Injury UpdateUS Israel Strike IranUS Attack on IranCBSE postpones Class 10 and 12 board examsUS Strike IranLG Hospital AhmedabadMiddle East CrisisIsrael Iran ConflictChandra Grahan 2026 TimeSchool Holiday in March
NEW DELHI: BJP national president Nitin Nabin is set to make his debut in Rajya Sabha from his home state Bihar, with the party naming him as one of its nine candidates for the polls to 37 seats across 10 states in a list which has several first-timers but with considerable organisational experience.While BJP named both candidates from its quota in Bihar, Shivesh Kumar – a Dalit who had lost in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Sasaram – being the second nominee, suspense is building over the choice of JDU, which is yet to officially declare any name amid indications that it will repeat Union minister Ram Nath Thakur but may drop RS deputy chairperson Harivansh.
A strong section within JDU is rooting for Nishant Kumar, the son of party president and CM Nitish Kumar whose nearly five-decade-long public life has been marked by opposition to dynastic politics but is facing pressure to bow to demand of party’s workers amid concerns in some quarters over his own health.Both Ram Nath Thakur, the son of noted socialist leader Karpoori Thakur, and Harivansh, a former journalist, have been in RS for two consecutive terms.Upendra Kushwaha is set to be repeated as an NDA candidate for the fifth seat, for which opposition parties may force a contest despite the confidence in the governing alliance of its win on the basis of its perceived numerical advantage due to lack of unity among its rivals.Nabin, an upper caste Kayastha and fifth-term MLA from Bihar, will be entering Parliament for the first time, a move that will cement his presence in national politics.Meanwhile, BJP has fielded its two Assam MLAs – Terash Gowalla and Jogen Mohan – from the poll-bound state, former LS MP Sanjay Bhatia from Haryana and its Odisha president Manmohan Samal and its ex-West Bengal president Rahul Sinha from West Bengal. Bhatia had made way from Karnal for former CM Manohar Lal Khattar, who is now a Union minister.Outgoing MP from Odisha Sujeet Kumar, who had quit BJD following the assembly elections in the state, is the only candidate BJP has repeated in this list. It is yet to release its list for Maharashtra, where seven seats are falling vacant and the governing alliance is set to bag six. Laxmi Verma, a Kurmi and someone who has worked her way up the party’s ranks in Chhattisgarh, is the lone woman candidate on the BJP’s list.BJP functionaries said the list is full of seasoned organisational hands emphasising the leadership’s decision to groom a new crop of members for key positions.
