Jaya was chosen over senior party leader Naresh Agarwal. Reports say Shivpal Yadav, younger brother of Mulayam, is unhappy with Agarwal for allegedly colluding with the BJP.
Jaya was first elected in 2004 as a Samajwadi Party member of parliament, representing Rajya Sabha till March 2006. Her second term began from June 2006 till July 2010 and in February 2010 she intended to complete her term. She was re-elected in 2012 for the third term which is coming to an end on April 3.
Earlier, it was speculated that Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress will be nominating her.
Elections to 59 Rajya Sabha seats will be held on March 23 and the counting of votes will be held on the same evening.
Fifty-eight Rajya Sabha seats will be falling vacant in April while a by-poll for a seat from Kerala will also be held. M P Veerendra Kumar had resigned in December last year, though his term was to end in April 2022.