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New Delhi:

Three key leaders from the BJP and its ally Shiv Sena (Shinde) faction have been nominated by the parties in their latest lists for the Rajya Sabha elections. While the BJP has named its president, JP Nadda, from Gujarat and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan from his home state, the Shiv Sena has nominated Milind Deora from Maharashtra. 

Two of these candidates – Mr Chavan and Mr Deora – are recent entrants in their respective parties from the Congress, with the former Maharashtra chief minister joining the BJP just yesterday. 

Mr Nadda is a Rajya Sabha member from Himachal Pradesh but will contest from Gujarat this time around because the BJP does not have the number of MLAs needed to win the lone seat from the Congress-ruled hill state.

Former Congress leader Ashok Chavan joined the BJP on Tuesday, just a day after quitting the party he had been a part of for 38 years. Former Union Minister Milind Deora had left the Congress on January 14, ending his family’s 55-year relationship with the party. He had joined the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena the same day. 

The elections for 56 Rajya Sabha seats from 15 states will be held on February 27. At 10, the highest number of seats are from Uttar Pradesh. 

Some of the other key candidates in the fray will be former Congress president Sonia Gandhi from Rajasthan and Union Ministers L Murugan and Ashwini Vaishnaw. While Mr Murugan will contest from Madhya Pradesh, Mr Vaishnaw has been nominated from Odisha.