Lucknow,

30 Sept (HS): Putting an end to all conjecture

regarding a “third name for the impending Rajya Sabha elections, the Samajwadi Party (SP) revealed the

names of just

two candidates — experienced

leader Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani — on Wednesday morning.

Although Ram Gopal Yadav is one of the Samajwadi Party's

founders and an experienced

parliamentarian, it's the name of young

entrepreneur and sports administrator Dhanraj Nathwani that

has caught many off guard.

The elections for 10 Rajya Sabha seats

in Uttar Pradesh are scheduled

for October 16.

Dhanraj Nathwani, aged 40, is the offspring of Parimal Nathwani, a

four-term member of the

Rajya Sabha. In addition to his corporate position, Parimal Nathwani is recognized for his passion for sports,

social causes, and charitable activities.

He secured the fourth term in Rajya

Sabha representing Jharkhand as

an independent candidate.

Dhanraj has a degree

in International Business from Regents Business School in London.

He is also the Vice-President of the Gujarat Cricket Board. He gained prominence

for his involvement in the creation of the world’s largest cricket stadium, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad, and for orchestrating

the grand ‘Namaste Trump’ event in

Ahmedabad in 2020. He also serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Dwarka Dewsthan Samiti, which manages

the esteemed Dwarkadhish Temple.

In the Rajya Sabha elections, state

MLAs elect candidates through a

system of proportional representation. The formula for calculating the

winning quota is based on

a precise mathematical equation. Given that the present effective strength of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly is 397 MLAs, a candidate needs 37 first-preference votes to obtain a Rajya Sabha seat. The

alliance led by the SP (featuring the Samajwadi Party and Congress) presently

holds 103 MLAs. With 103 votes, the SP easily surpasses the limit for its initial two selections. Voting for two candidates uses 74

votes, resulting in the alliance having a surplus of 29 votes.

For the SP

to effectively present a third

candidate, they would require

a sum of 111 votes. With only 29 votes left, they are precisely 8 votes short. Observers remarked

that although the party’s 97 MLAs easily obtained their initial two secure

selections, putting forward a third candidate would necessitate identifying an extra 16 to 17 cross-votes to be competitive.

Considering their current power in the assembly, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and SP can straightforwardly secure the unopposed election of 8 and 2 candidates, respectively, with additional votes remaining. However, if

either of the two introduces an additional candidate, voting would be required.

The BJP is anticipated to reveal the names of eight candidates, while the

Samajwadi Party previously suggested it might support three candidates, making the voting for Rajya Sabha seats highly

competitive. If the SP and BJP refrain from naming additional candidates, the existing ones may find their election effortless and avoid the need for voting.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi