Samajwadi Party to field third candidate in Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha polls

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has completed preparations to field a third candidate in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha elections, marking an ambitious bid to expand its representation in the upper house of Parliament.

The SP's third nominee is scheduled to submit nomination papers at the state assembly on October 6, ahead of the scheduled polling on October 16, 2026. The move signals the party's confidence in its numerical strength in the state legislature.

With more than 100 legislators in the Uttar Pradesh assembly and the support of two Congress MLAs, the SP has the numbers to contest multiple seats. However, the party will require cross-voting to secure the third candidate's victory, as the combined strength of the SP and Congress falls short of guaranteeing a third seat through their own votes alone.

The development comes as Indian regional parties continue to strategically leverage their legislative strength to maximize representation in the Rajya Sabha, where each state's seats are filled through voting by elected members of the state assembly.