BJP appoints in-charge for RS polls in 4 states

THE BJP IS PUSHING THE OPPOSITION TO GAIN MORE SEATS IN THESE FOUR STATES IN THE BIENNIAL ELECTIONS TO THE UPPER HOUSE TO BE HELD ON JUNE 10

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) has appointed union ministers as in-charges for forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls in Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan.

Union minister for agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar has been made in- charge of the Rajya Sabha elections in Rajasthan and Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat of Haryana. culture minister G Kishan Reddy has been assigned Karnataka and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will oversee the party’s election effort in Maharashtra.

The BJP is pushing the opposition to gain more seats in these four states in the biennial elections to the upper House to be held on June 10. The BJP has fielded 22 candidates in Rajya Sabha polls. The party has put up two candidates each in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. BJP has released a list of three candidates from Maharashtra including Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and is hoping to win the third seat.

In Karnataka, the party has put up three candidates to win the third seat amid perceived differences between Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) alliance.

In Rajasthan and Haryana, two media barons have entered the fray making the contest tougher for the Congress which has fielded four candidates from two states.Subhash Chandra, Chairman of the Zee group, is all set to contest for Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan as a BJP-backed independent candidate. Kartikeya Sharma, managing director of ITV Network, is set to contest the Rajya Sabha elections from Haryana and his entry could complicate matters for Congress candidate Ajay Maken.

There are 13 independent candidates in the state assembly and are supporting the Ashok Gehlot- led Rajasthan government and this makes the contest interesting.