BJP President Nitin Nabin Likely to Enter Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand in June
Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Nabin appears headed for the Rajya Sabha. Party insiders confirm this move is under active consideration. The decision aligns with his elevated role as national party chief.
Vacancy from Jharkhand, Not Bihar
Sources within the BJP indicate a specific plan. No Rajya Sabha seat is currently vacant from Nabin's home state of Bihar. However, an opportunity exists in neighbouring Jharkhand.
Nabin was born in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The sitting BJP MP from that state, Deepak Prakash, will retire in late June. This creates a potential opening for the new party president.
"Given the party's constitutional requirement of one person, one post, Nitin ji will likely be brought into the Rajya Sabha," a senior BJP leader explained. "He can be sent from any state the national leadership deems fit."
Aligning Role with New Stature
The move to Parliament is seen as formalising Nabin's new position. He took over as BJP president recently. While he is expected to remain out of the Union Cabinet for now, a Rajya Sabha berth matches his national stature.
The party has already allotted him an official residence in Lutyens' Delhi. This is standard protocol for senior leaders.
Upcoming Meetings and Schedule
Nabin, a five-time MLA from Bihar, will soon chair key party meetings. His first major gathering with national leaders is scheduled for January 21. This will be a meeting of national office-bearers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other members of the BJP Parliamentary Board are expected to attend. Furthermore, Nabin is likely to chair a meeting of the BJP's Parliamentary Party on January 27. This meeting traditionally precedes the Budget Session of Parliament.
Wider Rajya Sabha Vacancies This Year
The potential nomination comes amid a significant turnover in the Upper House. A total of 71 Rajya Sabha MPs are set to retire in 2026. This includes 30 from the BJP alone.
The breakdown of retiring BJP MPs includes:
- Eight from Uttar Pradesh
- Three from Gujarat
- Two each from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Odisha, and Haryana
- One each from Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Manipur
Notably, two significant vacancies from Uttar Pradesh will be those of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and BJP national secretary Arun Singh.
The party's leadership is now weighing the best option to accommodate its new president in the Rajya Sabha, with Jharkhand emerging as the frontrunner.
