On Wednesday, the Uttar Pradesh returning officer declared 10 Rajya Sabha candidates—eight from the BJP and two from the SP—elected unopposed after their nomination papers cleared scrutiny.
The two independent candidates, Kante Sayana and Omkarnath Chaurasia, had their papers rejected for failing to meet mandatory filing requirements, Ajeet Verma said.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who had speculated about a third candidate, clarified on X that the party’s focus was on the 403 seats in the state assembly, not a tenth Rajya Sabha seat.
With the BJP’s Yogi Adityanath government in its second term, the unopposed Rajya Sabha outcome removes a potential flashpoint as the state gears up for the 403‑seat Vidhan Sabha contest in five months.
The BJP’s slate featured a mix of new faces, including minister Dharampal Singh, OBC wing chief Prakash Pal, and women candidates Shruti Gangwar and Priyanka Rawat, signalling an effort to broaden representation.
Unless any candidate withdraws before the October 9 deadline, the seats will remain unchallenged, and the focus will shift to the forthcoming assembly elections scheduled for October 16.