The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to nominate actor-turned-politician and the party’s star campaigner, Ms Hema Malini, to the Rajya Sabha.
The party, which is likely to finalise the names of its members to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha by early next week, is also considering names of former Karnataka ministers Shoba Karandlaje and Jagdish Shettigar for the Rajya Sabha.
The party is also likely to nominate its national vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.
Sources said while Ms Malini would enter the Upper House from Madhya Pradesh, both Ms Karandlaje and Dr Shettigar are vying to enter the House from Karnataka.
While Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa is favouring Ms Karandlaje, a section within the Karnataka unit is lobbying for Dr Shettigar, sources said.
The name of the party’s national executive member and treasurer, Mr Piyush Goel, and Dr Najma Heptullah are also doing the rounds for the party’s candidate for the Rajya Sabha berth.
Meanwhile, the party is likely to convene its parliamentary board next week, where issues, including the agenda for the party’s national executive, would be discussed.
The issue of the return of two former party leaders, Ms Uma Bharti and Mr Jaswant Singh, to the party is also likely to be taken up during the meeting.
Speculation had been rife in the party that BJP chief Mr Nitin Gadkari and senior party leader L.K. Advani are in favour of Mr Singh’s return to the party. Mr Singh had recently travelled with Mr Advani and other party leaders to former vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat’s funeral to Jaipur.
In Ms Bharti’s case, there is stiff opposition from the party’s Madhya Pradesh unit, including chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, to her return to the party, though Mr Gadkari and a section of senior party leaders, including Mr Advani, are in favour of her rejoining the party.