• Source:JND
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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) named on Sunday the former Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma as its candidate for the September 15 by-election to a Rajya Sabha seat from the state. The bypoll will be held due to the death of the incumbent MP, Hardwar Dubey, who was also from the saffron party. The term of the seat is until November 2026.

Speaking to the news agency PTI, Dinesh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP Chief Yogi Adityanath, and other senior party leaders for the opportunity to be a member of parliament. "I will work for the party to ensure that Narendra Modi ji becomes prime minister for the third time," Sharma, who is a member of the UP legislative council, said.

The BJP has 255 MLAs in the 403-member UP legislative, while its allies, Apna Dal (Sonelal) and NISHAD party have 13 MLAs and six MLAs, respectively. New NDA partner SBSP has six MLAs in the Assembly.

The Samjwadi Party (SP) has 108 MLAs, and its ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), has nine MLAs. Both the Congress and Jansatta Dal Loktantrik have two MLAs each, while the BSP has one MLA. One seat (Ghosi) is vacant.

Sharma was one of the two deputy chief ministers in the first term of the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath government between 2017 to 2022. He held portfolios of secondary education, higher education, science and technology, and IT and electronics.

After being replaced by Brajesh Pathak following the 2022 UP Assembly polls, Sharma said that he would continue to strengthen the party to ensure that it emerges as the winner in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"I will continue to work for the party and strengthen it. As a party worker, I will strive to ensure that the BJP emerges victorious in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections," Sharma had earlier told PTI.

(With input from agencies)