BJP's Chunnilal Garasiya, Madan Rathore file nominations for RS polls from Rajasthan

Jaipur: BJP's Chunnilal Garasiya and Madan Rathore filed the nomination papers on Thursday for the biennial elections for three Rajya Sabha seats from Rajasthan.

Both the candidates presented two sets of nomination papers each to Returning Officer Mahaveer Prasad Sharma.

While filing the nomination, Garasiya was accompanied by Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, MP C P Joshi, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje and former minister Rajendra Rathore. While Rathore was accompanied by the chief minister, Deputy Chief Ministers Diya Kumari and Prem Chand Bairwa and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje.

Thursday was the last day of filing nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections 2024 for the three seats in the state and only three candidates filed their nomination papers. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi had filed her nomination papers on Wednesday.

The BJP had on Monday declared Garasiya and Rathore as candidates from Rajasthan for the biennial elections of Rajya Sabha.

Garasiya is a former state government minister, while Rathore is a former MLA.

Rathore has been MLA twice from the Sumerpur assembly seat of Pali. He became an MLA for the first time in 2003, and then again he was elected in 2013. From 2013 to 2018, he was the deputy chief whip in the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government.

Garasiya is a former minister and has held many positions in the party. He is currently the party's state vice president.

The chief electoral officer said that the scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on February 16, while the candidates will be able to withdraw their names till February 20.

The tenure of Rajya Sabha members from Rajasthan, Dr Manmohan Singh (Congress) and Bhupendra Yadav (BJP) is ending on April 3. Election is also to be held for a vacant seat as BJP's Rajya Sabha member Kirodi Lal Meena resigned in December after being elected as an MLA.

The BJP has 115 MLAs and the Congress 70 in the 200-member Assembly. In case of a contest, at least 67 votes will be required to win a seat.

There are 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan. At present, there are six members of the Congress and three of the BJP.