Samajwadi Party (SP) has picked Ram Gopal Yadav and Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani as its candidates for Rajya Sabha election from UP. While Ram Gopal Yadav was widely expected to be the most prominent among the candidates, Nathwani's candidacy has received more attention due to the fact that he has a corporate background and has a long-standing association with Gujarat.
On September 30 the two candidates filed their nomination papers in Lucknow in the presence of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.
Nathwani’s selection is unusual as he is not a conventional politician. He is a senior executive at Reliance Industries and has also been involved in sports administration and other public institutions in Gujarat in his career. So his selection has brought a corporate dimension in the background of the upcoming Upper House election.
Who is Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani?
Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani is a very senior executive in Reliance Industries. He has high-level positions in the conglomerate including some non-technical roles in company and corporate operations.
During his time with Reliance, Nathwani has been involved in finance and accounts, procurement and contracts, human resources, information technology, security, corporate operations and corporate social responsibility. His experience has been mostly related to manufacturing and business operations.
Nathwani has also been active in sports administration as well. He has been associated with the Gujarat Cricket Association and other sports clubs in the state. His association with institutions in Gujarat has added to his public profile beyond his corporate career.
His selection by the Samajwadi Party has raised interest since he is a professional and not a member of the political base of the party in Uttar Pradesh. The Indian Express described it as a surprise and the reasons for his selection are uncertain.
#WATCH | Lucknow, UP: Samajwadi Party candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections and Director, Reliance New Energy Limited, Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani files his nomination papers in the presence of party president Akhilesh Yadav. pic.twitter.com/FTpcoUW1e2
— ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2026
His father is also a Rajya Sabha MP
Another aspect of Nathwani’s profile is the connection of his family with Parliament. His father Parimal Nathwani is a senior Reliance executive and Rajya Sabha member from Jharkhand. He has been in the upper house for a long time.
This makes the younger Nathwani's nomination particularly interesting in the context of upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. But his own nomination is from the Samajwadi Party of Uttar Pradesh and whether the party will explain its reasons in any way beyond the formally announced candidate is a matter of political interpretation unless stated by the party.
Nathwani is a businessman from Reliance companies, and his work in Gujarat has put his background in the spotlight after the SP announcement.
Ram Gopal Yadav gets another Rajya Sabha nomination
Samajwadi Party has nominated Ram Gopal Yadav as their next candidate. A veteran SP leader, one of the oldest people and one of the most experienced leaders of the organisation, Ram Gopal Yadav was much less unexpected.
The two candidates have drastically different professional profiles. Ram Gopal Yadav has served for decades in electoral politics and parliamentary affairs, while Nathwani has come from a corporate background and has done his share in sports and institutional administration.
The two formally entered the Rajya Sabha contest after filing their nomination papers in Lucknow. Yadav accompanied the candidates during the nomination process.
What is the Rajya Sabha Election Math in UP?
The Election Commission has scheduled polling for 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh elections on October 16. Counting will also take place on the same day. The election is being held as the term of several sitting members are coming to an end and one UP seat has been made vacant after Dinesh Sharma resigned as Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Uttar Pradesh has 403 members in its Legislative Assembly and elected MLAs form the electoral college for Rajya Sabha elections. From the present numbers, reports suggest that the BJP-led alliance has the strength to win eight seats while the SP, with support from Congress, has the numbers for two seats.
The Rajya Sabha elections take place before the 2027 UP assembly elections, and so the upcoming Upper House elections are of particular significance. But the immediate contest is based on state Legislature composition and strength of the state legislature.
Why Nathwani's Nomination has drawn attention?
The main point of interest in the SP announcement is Nathwani's unusual profile for a candidate being nominated from Uttar Pradesh. His career has been mainly connected with Reliance Industries, Gujarat-based institutions and sports administration rather than electoral politics.
The party has not publicly provided a detailed explanation of every consideration behind his selection. Hence the claims about the strategic motivations behind the nomination should be seen in light of the fact of his nomination.
What is clear is that SP has chosen a combination of an experienced parliamentarian and a corporate executive for its two available nominations. Nathwani's background, his association with Reliance Industries and his family’s parliamentary history will remain key points of discussion as the October 16 Rajya Sabha election approaches.
