New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday declared former Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Neeraj Shekhar as its candidate for the by-poll to Rajya Sabha’s lone seat from Uttar Pradesh.
The by-poll was necessitated after Shekhar, son of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, resigned as a member of Rajya Sabha and later joined the BJP. The term of the seat is up to November 25, 2020.
Neeraj’s name was cleared by BJP’s Central Election Committee, an official statement from the party said.
Shekhar had contested Lok Sabha elections from his father’s constituency of Ballia and won twice – in 2007 and 2009 – but lost in 2014. He was later sent to Rajya Sabha by the party.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Neeraj was a denied a ticket to contest by the SP.
Nominations for the lone seat of Rajya Sabha by-poll would end on August 14 while the scrutiny of papers would be done on August 16. The last date for withdrawals is August 19.
The polling, if required, would be held on August 26 and the results would be declared the same day.