New Delhi: Surprise SP announcement ahead of alliance meet
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced his party’s candidate for a Rajya Sabha seat just before an INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi, a move that created political buzz and left the Congress camp unsettled.
Candidate is Reliance executive Dhanraj Nathwani
The SP’s nominee is Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani, a 40-year-old executive associated with the Reliance group and described as a close friend of Anant Ambani. The report says Anant Ambani is believed to have advised keeping the name confidential and revealing it at the last moment.
Father already a Rajya Sabha MP
Dhanraj’s father, Parimal Nathwani, is currently serving his fourth term in the Rajya Sabha. According to the report, he has previously been elected from Jharkhand as an Independent twice, later from Andhra Pradesh with YSR Congress support, and most recently again from Jharkhand with BJP support. He is also said to hold a senior position in the Reliance group and to be close to Mukesh Ambani.
UP seat-sharing tensions in the background
Delhi political circles are linking the announcement to Uttar Pradesh seat-sharing within the INDIA bloc. The report says Rahul Gandhi is keen on the Congress contesting around 200 seats in the 403-seat UP Assembly, while the Samajwadi Party is not ready to concede more than 40 seats.
Meeting absence and funding claims
With elections expected in February, the report says Rahul Gandhi wants the candidate list finalised by late October, while Akhilesh has been avoiding a meeting with him and sent another leader to the INDIA bloc meeting. SP MPs are also quoted as claiming that the newly announced candidate’s company would bear UP election expenses, and party leaders mocked Congress claims about Rahul as a future prime minister.
