Jaipur, June 8 (IANS) BJP candidates Satish Poonia and Alka Gurjar will file their nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections on Monday. The two leaders are scheduled to leave from the BJP State Headquarters and proceed to the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly to complete the nomination process in the presence of senior party leaders and workers.

Meanwhile, BJP Rajasthan President Madan Rathore described the nomination of Poonia and Gurjar to the Rajya Sabha as a matter of pride for the party.

He said both leaders have consistently worked for the organisation and would get an opportunity to contribute at the national level through the Upper House. Rathore called upon party workers to strengthen outreach efforts and ensure that government schemes reach every section of society.

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said Poonia and Alka Gurjar have served in the organisation; consequently, Rajasthan will greatly benefit from their entry into the country’s Upper House.

Further, Rajya Sabha candidate Dr Satish Poonia stated that our organisation honours hard work and dedication. “I, too, began as an ordinary worker, and the organisation has accorded me respect and opportunities at every step of the way.”

Expressing gratitude to the top leadership, state leadership, and party workers, she remarked that it is only through the good wishes of the workers that she has received the opportunity to go to the Rajya Sabha.

Another Rajya Sabha candidate, Dr Alka Gurjar, stated that this significant opportunity has come about thanks to the trust placed in them by the party workers. She affirmed that they would all work collaboratively for the ‘double-engine’ government and the development of Rajasthan.

The BJP’s Central Election Committee announced Poonia and Alka Gurjar as its Rajya Sabha nominees from Rajasthan. Their candidature replaces Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, whose term ends on June 21, and comes as part of a broader list of 11 nominees across states.

Voting for the three Rajasthan seats will be held on June 18, with the BJP anticipated to secure two seats based on current assembly strength.

Political observers see the choice of Poonia, a prominent Jat leader, and Gurjar, a well-connected Gurjar face, as a calculated bid to consolidate support among two electorally significant groups in Rajasthan. The Jat and Gurjar communities influence many Assembly constituencies, and the BJP’s move counters Congress’ own strong leaders from these groups. This social balancing is also linked to the party’s positioning for the 2028 state elections

–IANS

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