BJP likely to ask Rajya Sabha MPs to fight Lok Sabha polls

New Delhi: In a bid to increase its number of MPs in the impending general election, the BJP is likely to field many of its Rajya Sabha members, including some of the Union ministers who are members of the Upper House of Parliament.

Among other focus areas, the BJP is eyeing the five southern states and three Union territories, from where the party currently has 30 MPs. Development and Sanatan will be the BJP's main poll planks in the South to increase its seat share.

Though the BJP leadership has yet to take a final call on feilding the Rajya Sabha members, speculation is rife that Union ministers V. Murleedharan, Hardeep Puri, S. Jaishankar, among others, are likely to contest.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan has already said that he will be contesting the coming Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP Himachal Pradesh unit is abuzz that party president J.P. Nadda, a member of the Rajya Sabha representing his home state of Himachal Pradesh, will be contesting his first Lok Sabha polls in the coming elections.

The BJP will likely field its Rajya Sabha members in parliamentary constituencies considered a stronghold of the Opposition parties. The party leadership, sources said, will constitute core groups consisting of senior leaders from the state and the Centre for each such constituency to get a daily update from every block in that constituency.

Speculation is also rife that the BJP leadership could start declaring its candidates after January 15, the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti. In doing so, the party will not even wait for the Election Commission to announce the Lok Sabha election schedule.

The party leadership, sources said, will also be replacing many of its sitting Lok Sabha MPs who have completed two terms or more with new faces. The BJP leadership always favours ushering in new leadership in its state units, which it also did in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh after winning the recent Assembly polls by giving the charge of chief ministership to new faces.