'Jaitley to contest RS polls from UP, RS Prasad from Bihar'

New Delhi [India] March 07 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will field Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley from Uttar Pradesh and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from Bihar for the Rajya Sabha elections, said sources on Wednesday.

There will be 59 vacancies in the Rajya Sabha in April, including 17 from the BJP and 12 from the Congress party. Three nominated members - actor Rekha, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and social worker Anu Aga - will also retire then.

Out of the BJP's 17 Rajya Sabha members, eight are union ministers.

According to sources, the ruling BJP will field Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot from Madhya Pradesh for another Rajya Sabha term.

Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar will reportedly contest from Maharashtra.

Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Mansukh L. Mandaviya and Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Parshottam Rupala will contest election from Gujarat, said sources.

They added that Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda will seek re-nomination to the Upper House from his home state, Himachal Pradesh. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI