The Samajwadi Party (SP) has officially decided against fielding a third candidate for the upcoming biennial Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, according to sources.
The strategic move, finalised on Tuesday ahead of the nomination filing deadline, clears the path for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to secure all eight of its targeted seats without a contest.
While the SP had initially weighed options to contest a third seat following the BJP’s announcement of eight nominees, calculations surrounding the state assembly’s math and the looming threat of cross-voting ultimately steered leadership away from the contest. Because Rajya Sabha elections utilise an open ballot system—where legislators’ votes remain visible to designated party agents—the risk of defection heavily discouraged a contested race.
With this decision, the 10 vacant Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh are expected to be filled unopposed, with the BJP retaining eight seats and the SP securing the remaining two.
The Samajwadi Party has already nominated party veteran Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani, both of whom are projected to secure a comfortable victory based on the party’s core legislative strength in the state assembly. Formal closures on nominations and withdrawals will proceed according to the Election Commission’s schedule ahead of the Oct 16 polling date.
