The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today (January 7) announced Dorjee Tshering Lepcha as the party's candidate for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Sikkim for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election. The Election Commission has announced that elections to three Rajya Sabha seats from New Delhi and one from Sikkim are likely to be held on January 19 (Friday).
Rajya Sabha MPs from New Delhi- Sanjay Singh, Sushil Kumar Gupta and Narain Dass Gupta- are set to retire when their term ends on January 27, and Sikkim MP Hishey Lachungpa's on February 23.
As per the EC schedule, polling will take place from 9 am-4 pm in respective state assemblies, and votes will be counted from 5 pm on January 19. The AAP has decided to nominate Swati Maliwal, former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief as its newest Rajya Sabha MP. ND Gupta and senior leader Sanjay Singh will be renominated for their second terms.
The party said MP Sushil Gupta expressed his intent to redirect his focus towards the electoral politics of Haryana. Sushil is the AAP in-charge in Haryana, which is expected to go to polls later this year. "...we respect his decision to pursue this path," the party said.
A Delhi court on Thursday, meanwhile, allowed Singh to sign his renomination documents from jail. Singh, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a case related to the Delhi excise policy, is AAP's UP in-charge.
ALSO READ: BJP MLA Sunil Kamble slaps police personnel in presence of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in Pune | WatchALSO READ: ED team attacked during raids at TMC leader's village in West Bengal, BJP demands NIA probe
