The BJP on Tuesday made the first move for the upcoming March 16 Rajya Sabha elections for 37 seats, which are falling vacant, nominating nine candidates from six states. The nominees include BJP national president Nitin Nabin from Bihar and former Karnal Lok Sabha MP Sanjay Bhatia from Haryana.Nabin, 45, represents Bankipur in the Bihar Assembly and was serving as a minister in the Nitish Kumar-led Cabinet before being elevated as the BJP’s national chief. His nomination to the Rajya Sabha was expected.In Bihar, the BJP will contest on two of the five seats, for which elections will be held. It has nominated leader from the Scheduled Caste community, Shivesh Kumar (state BJP general secretary), for the second seat from the state. The BJP is also expected to back ally Upendra Kushwaha for the RS nomination from the state, with JD (U) expected to contest the remaining two seats.From Haryana, the BJP has fielded former Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar’a close aide Sanjay Bhatia for the Rajya Sabha. Bhatia, 58, had vacated his Karnal segment when the party fielded Khattar from the constituency, appointing Nayab Singh Saini as the CM.The Tribune was the first to report that Bhatia was among BJP’s Rajya Sabha probables from Haryana.In West Bengal, where the BJP is expected to win one out of five seats, the party has nominated former state president Rahul Sinha for the election.The Odisha contest will be interesting as the BJP today named state chief Manmohan Samal and Rajya Sabha MP Sujit Kumar (whose term is ending soon) as its candidates, declaring support for former Union minister Dilip Ray, who will contest as an Independent. The BJD is expected to win one of the four seats in Odisha with the BJP expected to comfortably win two seats. The BJP is also making a run for the fourth seat, on which no party has the required numbers to win.Samal is being sent to the Rajya Sabha after he lost the Odisha Assembly poll in 2024 from Chandabali segment in Bhadrak by a margin of 1,916 votes. The BJP’s Rajya Sabha nominee from Chhattisgarh is an OBC leader and state women’s panel member Laxmi Verma.From Assam, the party has fielded state Public Works Minister Jogen Mohan and MLA Terash Gowalla. In all, the BJP has fielded nine candidates from Bihar, Assam, Bengal, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.Elections for 37 Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant on April 2 and 9 will be held on March 16. March 5 is the last date for nominations.Sukhu Meets Venugopal Over Himachal NomineeThe Congress is yet to announce its candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections. Today, Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met AICC general secretary organisation KC Venugopal for discussions on the lone Rajya Sabha seat falling vacant from the state.37 Seats Falling VacantElections are to be held for seven seats in Maharashtra, five each in Bengal and Bihar, four in Odisha, three in Assam, two each in Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Haryana and one in Himachal.