BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar would make way for Narayana Krishanasa Bhandage in the Rajya Sabha election from Karnataka scheduled on February 27. Rajeev was nominated to Rajya Sabha in April, 2018 and his term of six years would end in 2024.

TNM in its October 6 edition of Powertrip newsletter had reported that a few ministers in the Modi Cabinet, including Rajeev Chandrashekhar who were members of Rajya Sabha would not be re-nominated and would be asked to contest Lok Sabha elections if they wanted to enter the Parliament again. 

Bhandage, who hails from the Other Backward Class, was one of the leaders of ABVP in Bagalkote district and was active in the Ram temple movement. BJP on Sunday, February 12, announced a list of 14 candidates for Rajya Sabha elections. And Rajeev’s name missing from the list has 

TNM had reported a BJP leader saying that ministers who had been given the exposure to connect with people should build electoral prospects and contest elections. “There can be a free ticket just once under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after that if need be they should be able to earn their place by winning,” a senior BJP leader had confirmed to TNM. 

There are over 12 MPs who made it to the Cabinet through the Rajya Sabha route, including Rajeev Chandrashekar who is Union Information Technology. Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman from Karnataka. 

BJP on Sunday, February 12, announced a list of 14 candidates for Rajya Sabha elections. 

The other candidates are: Dharmsheela Gupta and Bhim Singh for Bihar, Raja Devendra Pratap Singh for Chhattisgarh, Subhash Barala for Haryana, RPN Singh, Sudhanshu Trivedi, Chaudhury Tejveer Singh, Sadhana Singh, Amarpal Maurya, Sangita Balwant, Navin Jain for Uttar Pradesh, Mahendra Bhatt for Uttarakhand, Samik Bhattacharya for West Bengal.