Jaipur: Union minister Venkaiah Naidu and BJP national vice president Om Prakash Mathur were among four party candidates who filed their nomination papers today from Rajasthan for Rajya Sabha biennial elections.
In Chandigarh, Rural Development Minister Birender Singh filed his nomination papers from Haryana for Rajya Sabha polls.
Along with Naidu and Mathur, Ramkumar Verma and Harsh Vardhan Singh filed their nomination papers here in the presence of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, party's state president Ashok Parnami, members of the council of ministers and party MLAs.
"All the four candidates of BJP filed their nomination papers today," returning officer and secretary of the state legislative assembly Prthivi Raj said. Election is being held for four seats from the state in the Rajya Sabha.
On his arrival here, Mathur told reporters that he will fulfill the responsibility given by the party.
"It is a surprise for me. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje saw my social work for Dalits and I was given the opportunity," Verma told PTI.
Verma and Vardhan are the new faces for Rajya Sabha election.
Vardhan, a Rajput candidate, is the grandson of former speaker of Rajasthan Assembly Laxman Singh and has connection with erstwhile royal family of Dungarpur whereas Verma is a retired RBI official and engaged in social work.
Birender Singh was accompanied by his MLA-wife Prem Lata, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Cabinet Ministers Ram Bilas Sharma and O P Dhankar during the filing of nomination.
The terms of Birender Singh and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu are ending on August 1. They were elected following by-elections to two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana in 2014.
The last date for filing of nomination is tomorrow and scrutiny will take place on June 1. The last date for withdrawal is June 3. Polling, if necessary, will take place on June 11.
