Uttar Pradesh’s political landscape is witnessing heightened activity as an eighth candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party has officially joined the fray on Thursday by filing his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections, setting the stage for a riveting contest with the Samajwadi Party.

Sanjay Seth, a former SP luminary who defected to the BJP in 2019, formally filed his nomination papers in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, party state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary and other prominent leaders, bolstering the ruling party’s standing in the upcoming elections.

The elections for 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh have already seen seven BJP candidates filing their nomination papers the previous day.

The SP has fielded three candidates who filed their nomination papers a day earlier. However, the BJP set the stage for a fierce contest for the Rajya Sabha berths by fielding its eighth candidate.

Thursday marked the culmination of the nomination filing process for the Rajya Sabha elections, with voting scheduled for February 27. The results are expected to be declared on the same day.

Expressing unyielding confidence in the victory of the party’s eighth candidate, BJP state president Bhupendra Chaudhary told reporters, “We hold a robust two-thirds majority in the Vidhan Sabha, and the commendable work undertaken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has garnered widespread acclaim.”

Seth also echoed this sentiment, saying, “We steadfastly support the progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.”

In the 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly, the BJP currently commands 252 seats while the Samajwadi Party holds 108 seats. The Congress has two representatives. Both SP and the Congress function as opposition parties in the state and are part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

The BJP’s coalition ally, Apna Dal (Sonelal) possesses 13 seats in the assembly, while the Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Apna Dal (NISHAD) Party holds six seats. Additionally, there are nine members of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), six of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), two of Jansatta Dal Loktantrik and one of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Currently, four seats in the assembly are vacant.