BJP picks Hardeep Puri for Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha bypoll
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri as its candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha bypoll in Madhya Pradesh. The election will be held on November 12 to fill the seat vacated by former Union minister L Murugan. Reportedly, Puri's name was among those discussed by the Madhya Pradesh BJP ahead of the bypoll, and a panel of four to five names was sent to the central leadership for final decision.
Term details
Puri's uncertain future in Rajya Sabha
Puri is currently a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh, but his term ends on November 25.
The BJP had not renominated him for the recent elections in Uttar Pradesh, which has left his future in the Upper House uncertain.
This bypoll will fill one of Madhya Pradesh's 11 Rajya Sabha seats.
Resignation impact
L Murugan's resignation created vacancy
Murugan, who also holds the parliamentary affairs portfolio, resigned from both the Union Council of Ministers and the Rajya Sabha this month despite his term as a member of the Upper House being scheduled to end in 2030.
In his resignation letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Murugan said he wished to return to the grassroots, stand with the party workers and dedicate full time to strengthening the BJP in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.