BJP names 8 new Rajya Sabha candidates from UP; Puri, Verma dropped
The BJP on Monday announced eight candidates for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections from Uttar Pradesh. Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma, along with Arun Singh, Brij Lal and Neeraj Shekhar, were denied another term. The list gives primacy to Dalit and backward caste leaders, featuring Dharampal Singh, Shruti Gangwar, Vidyasagar Sonkar, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Prakash Pal, Radhakant Ojha, Gopi Krishna Pandey and Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan. No outside-state or outgoing members were repeated, fuelling cabinet reshuffle speculation.