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BJP Names Koel Mallick and Dinesh Arya for 2026 Rajya Sabha Polls
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, naming former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Rukmini Mallik, popularly known as Koel Mallick, from West Bengal and senior leader Dinesh Arya from Uttarakhand.
Mallik, who had entered the Rajya Sabha on a TMC ticket in April, resigned from the party ahead of the Monsoon Session in July and later joined the BJP. Her candidature from West Bengal signals a significant political realignment in the state.
In Uttarakhand, the BJP has backed Dinesh Arya, a senior party leader and former Nainital district BJP chief who has also held Minister of State status in the state government. His nomination comes ahead of the Uttarakhand Assembly elections and is being viewed as part of the party’s broader political strategy.
Elections will be held for 12 Rajya Sabha seats on October 16, with 10 seats from Uttar Pradesh and one each from Uttarakhand and West Bengal. Voting and counting will take place on the same day.
The BJP currently has 116 members in the 245-seat Rajya Sabha.
