Story perspectives

BJP Lucknow panel weighs Smriti Irani for Rajya Sabha

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 4:17 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The BJP’s core committee in Lucknow deliberated candidate lists for the upcoming Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections.
The committee considered national general secretaries Smriti Irani and Harish Dwivedi as possible Rajya Sabha nominees.
The BJP is formulating a strategy to retain Brahmin votes and recapture non-Yadav OBC, Kurmi, and non-Jatav SC support.
The Election Commission set the notification date for September 29, nomination deadline for October 6, and polling for October 16.

History

Historical Context

In 1999, the Bharatiya Janata Party led the National Democratic Alliance to 182 Lok Sabha seats and a coalition total of 299, forming a government under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The win ended hung parliaments and showed the BJP’s skill at building alliances, a model the Lucknow core committee cites while choosing candidates such as Smriti Irani and Harish Dwivedi.

1 of 2

Story summary

The BJP’s core committee in Lucknow deliberated candidate lists for the upcoming Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections.
The committee considered national general secretaries Smriti Irani and Harish Dwivedi as possible Rajya Sabha nominees.
The BJP is formulating a strategy to retain Brahmin votes and recapture non-Yadav OBC, Kurmi, and non-Jatav SC support.
The Election Commission set the notification date for September 29, nomination deadline for October 6, and polling for October 16.

1 / 2