- Thursday, February 27, 2025
In 2019, the 68-year-old foreign minister filed his nomination from Gujarat to the upper chamber for the first time.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Monday (10) filed his nomination to the Rajya Sabha or Upper House of the parliament from the western state of Gujarat.
State chief minister Bhupendra Patel and the president of the Gujarat unit of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), CR Patil, accompanied the diplomat to the state assembly complex where he submitted his nomination papers to the returning officer.
It has been a real honour representing Gujarat in the Rajya Sabha. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our motherland.
Today, I submit my nomination and seek the blessings of Gujarat once more.
राज्यसभा में गुजरात का प्रतिनिधित्व करना वास्तव में सम्मान की बात है। अपनी… pic.twitter.com/7dg4zkVjDx
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 10, 2023
The deadline for filing nominations is July 13 while the last date for their withdrawal is July 17. Election will be held on July 24 if required.
In 2019, the 68-year-old foreign minister filed his nomination from Gujarat to the upper chamber for the first time. He also took over as the foreign minister the same year, succeeding Sushma Swaraj.
Out of 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat, which is also the home state of prime minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah, eight are currently held by the ruling party.
Of the eight seats held by the saffron party, the terms of three, including Jaishankar, will conclude on August 18. Elections will be held for those three seats.
The opposition Indian National Congress, which holds the remaining three seats, on Friday (7) said it would not field candidates for the polls to the Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat since it lacked enough members of the legislative assembly in the state’s 182-member assembly.
The BJP returned to power in Gujarat last year by winning a record 156 seats while the Congress’s tally was reduced to just 17.
(With PTI inputs)
