BJP names RS nominee from MP eyeing UP Assembly polls

A day after the BJP fielded MP Fisherman Welfare Board chief Mahesh Kewat for the third seat in the biennial Rajya Sabha polls, the boatmen-fisherman caste OBC leader filed his nomination for the June 18 election.

- ANURAAG SINGH/MUKESH RANJAN

The move drew attention beyond Madhya Pradesh, with political observers linking Kewat’s candidature to a wider outreach among boatmen and fishermen communities ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections due in early 2027.

Kewat, who has a strong RSS background, filed his papers in the presence of CM Mohan Yadav and BJP leaders, shortly after Congress candidate and former MP Meenakshi Natrajan submitted her nomination. While BJP nominees Tarun Chugh and Rajneesh Agrawal are expected to secure the required first-preference votes, Kewat’s entry has transformed the contest for the third seat.