Highlights

Jyotiraditya Scindia files RS nomination papers

Scindia is one of the three BJP candidates from Madhya Pradesh

BJP hopes to win at least two seats in MP after the rebellion in Congress ranks

Jyotiraditya Scindia filed his Rajya Sabha nomination papers as a BJP candidate at the Madhya Pradesh assembly premises on Friday along with two other party nominees from the state, Sumer Singh Solanki and Ranjana Baghel.

Congress candidate Phool Singh Baraiya, too, filed his nomination papers on Friday, a day after Digvijaya Singh.

Friday was the last day for filing nomination papers for the elections to 55 Rajya Sabha seats across 17 states to be held on March 26.

Scindia was flanked by the state's top BJP leaders when he went to file his nomination. Union minister for agriculture and farmers welfare Narendra Singh Tomar, BJP national vice-president Shivraj Singh Chouhan, leader of opposition in State assembly Gopal Bhargava, State BJP president VD Sharma, Rajya Sabha member Prabhat Jha and others accompanied Scindia from the state headquarters to the assembly.

Scindia has been a member of parliament (Lok Sabha) for four consecutive terms up to May 2019. Second BJP nominee Sumer Singh Solanki is entering electoral politics with this election while Ranjana Baghel was a minister in the then Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.

Solanki resigned as an assistant professor of history in a government college in Barwani district before filing his nomination papers.

Both Ranjana and Sumer are tribal faces of the BJP.

The Congress candidate Phool Singh Baraiya from Gwalior-Chambal region was once with the BSP, a party he was instrumental in building in the state. He joined BJP after quitting BSP before floating his own political outfit-Bahujan Sangharsh Dal. He joined Congress ahead of Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

Neither the BJP nor the Congress is expected to win more than two seats out of the three vacant in the state.

BJP's third candidate Ranjana Baghel said, "I filed the nomination papers on the instructions of the party."

A BJP leader said, "Ranjana Baghel is our third candidate. This is to ensure that if nomination papers of either of the two other candidates are cancelled the party has at least two candidates in the fray. After scrutiny of nomination papers, Baghel will withdraw her nomination."

Returning officer AP Singh said, "The scrutiny of nomination papers will be done by March 15 while nomination papers can be withdrawn by March 16."

Six candidates are in fray for the three RS seats in MP including an independent Ramdas, who submitted his nomination papers on Friday.