Lobbying on for Rajya Sabha seat as Krishan Lal Panwar set to resign

Lobbying within the BJP has already begun for the Rajya Sabha seat held by Krishan Lal Panwar, which will soon fall vacant following his election from the Israna Assembly segment. Despite Panwar not yet submitting his resignation, party insiders confirm that several senior BJP leaders are positioning themselves for the seat.

Panwar, a six-time MLA from Israna and a prominent SC face of the BJP, stated that he would only resign from his Rajya Sabha seat after consulting the party’s top brass. “I will consult Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and state BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli on the matter. Once I receive the go-ahead, I will submit my resignation,” Panwar said.

Will take call after Cabinet formation

Once the process of Cabinet formation is completed, we will take a call on the RS nomination. A lot of leaders have aspirations and some of them are vying for the slot. Satish Poonia, Haryana BJP incharge

Sources within the party revealed that former ministers who lost in the recent Assembly elections, leaders who were denied tickets, and others who were not “accommodated” in various seats are all vying for the Rajya Sabha nomination. Among the contenders is a Punjabi leader from Panchkula, who was bypassed in favour of then Speaker Gian Chand Gupta during the Assembly elections. The leader emphasised the Punjabi community’s strong support for the BJP in the elections, adding, “The Punjabi community backed the BJP firmly, returning eight out of 10 candidates. We hope the party will recognise this by nominating a Punjabi to the Rajya Sabha.”

There is also pressure to replace Panwar, an SC leader, with another representative from the Scheduled Castes category.

The trader community, too, is aspiring for the seat. “In the 2019 elections, of the nine candidates from the trader community given party tickets, seven were elected to the Assembly. In 2024, the party gave tickets to five members of the community and only two won. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, too, don’t have any members of our community. The party had considered giving a ticket to a representative of the community in 2022 but it didn’t work out. We are hopeful this time,” a party leader said.

However, some party insiders suggest that former ministers in the Nayab Singh Saini government who lost the election, but maintain close ties with the central leadership, are lobbying for the position as well. “There is a possibility that one of the senior leaders who lost could be adjusted for the Rajya Sabha seat,” said a party insider.

With the Rajya Sabha election due within six months of Panwar’s resignation, the final decision will likely be taken after the Cabinet ministers are sworn in on October 17. Panwar’s successor will serve the remainder of his term, which began on August 1, 2022, and will conclude in July 2028.

“Once the process of Cabinet formation is completed, we will take a call on the RS nomination. A lot of leaders have aspirations and some of them are vying for the slot,” said Satish Poonia, Haryana BJP incharge.