Election 2024: BJP to push all Rajya Sabha MPs into LS fray, but 4 are exempt

With just about 10 months left for the next Lok Sabha battle, which will decide if Narendra Modi will get a third consecutive term as Prime Minister, the ruling BJP has decided to ask all its Rajya Sabha members to contest elections.

According to senior BJP leaders, the decision to make Rajya Sabha members contest for the Lok Sabha election is not a surprise, considering most of them have already been working in their respective constituencies and states.

“Most Rajya Sabha leaders have been travelling to their states and have already identified favourable constituencies. They can choose from the constituencies where they are confident of winning,” said a senior BJP leader from the Rajya Sabha who is keen to contest the Lok Sabha polls.

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However, the decision will not be applicable to all Rajya Sabha MPs. The BJP has at least 92 MPs in the Rajya Sabha, and the party has decided that most of them will contest with the exception of four senior ministers in the Union cabinet.

The exceptions

“The view in the party is that Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal should be exempt from the decision, “ the BJP leader quoted above said. “It’s because they are very senior in the organisation and they would be needed both in the government and in the party at the time of elections.”

It’s not just the fact that they’re busy with government and party functions. These four very senior ministers cannot be allowed to contest because if the Opposition candidates beat them in their respective home states, it will cause a sticky situation for the party.

“All the four will be involved in official work, campaigning in states and also in preparing the manifesto of the party by talking to different stakeholders. So, it will be unfair to expect them to contest elections. The view in the BJP is clear — that they should not be asked to contest,” said the BJP leader.

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There are at least 18 Rajya Sabha leaders of the party and its alliance partners who are part of the Union Council of Ministers. BJP leaders feel the decision to ask Rajya Sabha MPs to contest will not only strengthen the party in states but also ensure that it is not dependent on allies for electoral success.

Eye on the numbers

The BJP leadership is keen that Rajya Sabha MPs who have got two or more terms should contest the Lok Sabha battle as they have been involved in several mass contact programmes in their states and are known to people.

There is also a view in the party that these MPs can help increase the BJP’s tally nationally or at least help it maintain it if the party loses some seats in 2024. 

“It will help the BJP contest nearly 90 seats with established candidates who are well known in their respective states and have been working in different Lok Sabha constituencies for at least one term. This is part of the expansion plans of the BJP because these MPs can help expand the party in states where the BJP is not so strong,” added the BJP leader.

Position in Rajya Sabha

Among the states that send the maximum number of BJP members to the Upper House are Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan. The BJP has had an exceptional electoral track record in these states, which have also helped it become the single largest party in the Rajya Sabha.

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“The BJP improved its Lok Sabha performance from 2014 to 2019 and returned to power with a bigger majority under the leadership of Modi. The party is again trying to improve its performance. The task given to Rajya Sabha MPs is a challenge for these leaders,” the BJP leader told The Federal.

Political analysts believe the BJP leadership has taken the decision because it will help the Rajya Sabha parliamentarians to know their own worth in the eyes of the people and also because a Rajya Sabha term does not guarantee an extension for another term.

“This move will energise the party because it will help the BJP replace non-performing MPs in the Lok Sabha with Rajya Sabha MPs in states and also bring new talent to the Rajya Sabha,”  AK Verma, Director, Centre for the Study of Society and Politics, Kanpur, told The Federal.

“The BJP leadership is sending out a message that two terms in the Rajya Sabha do not guarantee another extension. The BJP has to also be careful that local anti-incumbency against the Lok Sabha MPs should not impact the national prospect of the party,” he added.