Gandhinagar: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and BJP state chief C.R. Patil today. The nomination papers were submitted by Jaishankar to Returning Officer Rita Mehta at the state Assembly complex around 12:39 pm in Gandhinagar.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) had declared an election for three Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat due to the expiry of the term of three existing Rajya Sabha members. The terms of S. Jaishankar, Jugalji Thakor, and Dinesh Anavadiya, who hold seats from the BJP, are set to end on August 18.

The deadline for filing nominations is July 13, with the withdrawal of nominations permitted until July 17. The polling for the Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat is scheduled to take place on July 24.

As the opposition Congress party lacks the required numbers in the State assembly, it has decided not to field its candidate. Jaishankar and two other candidates from the BJP (whose names have not yet been declared) are expected to win the election unopposed. It’s worth noting that four years ago, S. Jaishankar filed his first nomination for the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat.

Among the 11 Rajya Sabha seats allocated to Gujarat, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) currently holds eight, while the remaining three are held by the Congress. DeshGujarat

Watch | EAM Dr S Jaishankar files his nomination in Gandhinagar for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections. pic.twitter.com/fo1Bdn4x8b

— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) July 10, 2023