BJP Union ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and L Murugan are to be Rajya Sabha candidates from Assam and Madhya Pradesh respectively.
Chosen by the BJP, they are to be the Rajya Sabha by-poll contestants in Assam and Madhya Pradesh respectively, according to a party statement.
Both Sarbananda Sonowal and L Murugan were recently recruited into Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Council of Ministers thereby necessitating their elections to Parliament within six months. Their election to the Rajya Sabha will stand as the BJP has a majority in both state assemblies.
In Assam, a Rajya Sabha seat fell vacant after Biswajit Daimary left in order to become the assembly speaker.
In Madhya Pradesh, the vacancy emerged after the then Union minister Thaawarchand Gehlot resigned following his appointment as Karnataka governor.
Overall, there have been interesting reshuffling and reappointments in the BJP cabinet ministry.