Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav sprang a surprise in the Rajya Sabha elections by fielding Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani, a senior Reliance Industries executive, as the party's candidate from Uttar Pradesh.
Akhilesh accompanied Nathwani and SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav as the two filed their nominations at around 11 am on Wednesday. At the Election Commission office, Akhilesh held Nathwani's hand and walked him to his chair before congratulating him after the nomination.
Nathwani’s background and profile
Nathwani is group president at Reliance Industries Ltd and has been associated with the company's Jamnagar and Vadodara manufacturing divisions. He is also a director of Reliance New Energy Ltd.
His father, Parimal Nathwani, is a director of corporate affairs at Reliance Industries and an Independent Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand. He entered the Rajya Sabha earlier this year with the support of the BJP-led NDA.
Born in Mumbai on February 5, 1986, Dhanraj Nathwani studied International Business at Regent's Business School in London and holds an MBA in Corporate Law and Public Relations from the National Institute of Management. He married Bhoomi Nathwani in 2014.
Nathwani is also involved in sports administration. He is president of the Gujarat Cricket Association, a position he took over in 2022 after Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He had earlier served as the association's vice-president and was involved in the construction of the Narendra Modi Stadium. He is also vice-president of the Dwarka Devasthan Committee.
SP keeps third candidate under wraps
The election is being held for 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. Based on the current strength of the state Assembly, the BJP-led NDA has the numbers to win eight seats, while the SP can secure two.
The SP is preparing to field a third candidate, which could lead to a contest for the additional seat. The identity of the third candidate has not yet been disclosed.
The party will need support beyond its existing numbers to win a third seat, making the possibility of cross-voting a key factor in the election.
Akhilesh called his MLAs to the party office again on Tuesday as the party worked on its Rajya Sabha strategy. Nomination papers had already been purchased.
Former Badaun MP and senior SP leader Salim Iqbal Sherwani also visited the party office and met Akhilesh to stake his claim for a Rajya Sabha nomination. Akhilesh asked him to remain in Lucknow until October 4.
After leaving the office, Sherwani said, “Our wish is that the party sends him to the Rajya Sabha. We hope it succeeds.”
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Congress questions nomination
Congress senior spokesperson CP Rai criticised the SP's decision to nominate Nathwani.
“It would have been better if the SP chief had nominated a party worker for the Rajya Sabha. He is concerned about billionaires rather than the interests of the people,” Rai said.
With Ram Gopal Yadav and Nathwani now in the fray, the focus is on whether Akhilesh will field a third candidate and how the SP plans to secure the additional votes required to win another seat.
