BSP fields six candidates for Rajya Sabha seats

Lucknow, Nov 6 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh's ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Thursday fielded six nominees for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls.

These included sitting Lok Sabha member Brajesh Pathak from Unnao and the high-profile aspirant for the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, Akhilesh Das.

Others in the fray include Vir Singh, who is already a Rajya Sabha member from Moradabad and is seeking a second term, former BSP Lok Sabha member Brijlal Khabri from Jalaun, and Raja Ram, a sitting member of the state legislative council from Azamgarh.

The contestants filed their nominations Thursday afternoon.

BSP chief Mayawati also handpicked the party's Punjab state president Avtar Singh Karimpuri for one of the Uttar Pradesh seats in the Rajya Sabha.

While four of the candidates belong to the scheduled castes, two are from the upper castes.

Akhilesh Das was the only new entrant in the party to have been rewarded with a Rajya Sabha nomination.

Biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha will be held Nov 21 to fill 10 vacancies from Uttar Pradesh.