00:01As breaking news that's coming in right at the top of the bulletin, this is BJP now fielding Hardeeb Puri
00:07for the Rajasabha seat.
00:09Hardeeb Puri now in the Rajasabha race. Hardeeb Puri, Rajasabha bi-poll candidate from MP is what we're learning of.
00:15Puri to contest seat vacated by El Murugan. El Murugan left the Modi cabinet, quit the Rajasabha MP seat.
00:23BJP announces Hardeeb Singh Puri as the Rajasabha bi-poll candidate from Madhya Pradesh.
00:29BJP's Central Election Committee has now come out to approve the Union Minister Hardeeb Singh Puri's candidature for the 2026
00:37Rajasabha bi-election for Madhya Pradesh.
00:40Remember, the seat remains vacant right now because El Murugan had resigned from the seat representing Madhya Pradesh on October
00:4613th.
00:47And post that, this is the candidature that's now been approved by the BJP's choosing committee at this given point.
00:55At this point, we have Aishwarya Pallewal joining us on the broadcast with more details.
00:58Aishwarya, how are we looking at this entire approval coming in and BJP fielding Hardeeb Singh Puri for the Rajasabha
01:06seat?
01:08Well, you know, Burswarya, let me tell you, will he be nominated?
01:10May he not be nominated.
01:11Over the past few weeks, there was a lot of suspense, especially after the 13th of October,
01:16when El Murugan, in fact, who was the MOS for IMB Ministry, he, in fact, had quit.
01:21So, we are seeing now that it's the BJP which has given the stamp of approval for the Rajasabha seat.
01:28It seems like, you know, we will see Hardeeb Puri back in action.
01:32After, there was a lot of suspense, you know, a lot of people, in fact, were looking at whether he
01:37will be fielded,
01:38if not because he earlier was a Rajasabha member from the state of Uttar Pradesh,
01:41when his name did not figure out in the list from Uttar Pradesh.
01:44That is when there were a lot of speculations doing rounds, but now his name, final, the list has been,
01:50is out now.
01:51The BJP has been with Hardeeb Singh Puri, the same seat from where El Murugan was first sitting.
01:56Right, right.
01:58Aishwarya, just stay back with us.
02:00We are also being joined by my colleague, Maria Shakil.
02:03Maria, very good afternoon to you.
02:04How are you exactly looking at this entire approval that's come in and the push for Hardeeb Singh Puri's name?
02:13Yes, look, the BJP certainly wanted members from the, you know, the community that Hardeeb Singh Puri represents
02:23in the Union Council of Ministers.
02:26After the exit of Biktu for the state of Punjab, there was this sense that if Mr. Puri actually exits
02:33as well
02:34because he was not given a Rajasabha seat from the state of Uttar Pradesh,
02:39then how will the BJP really face those questions going ahead because the state of Punjab goes to polls
02:45along with four other states in the month of January, February next year.
02:49So the BJP certainly wanted to avoid that.
02:52And besides that, Mr. Puri holds a very important portfolio in the Union Council of Ministers.
02:57After Al-Murgan's exit from the Cabinet and also from the Rajasabha, where he had resigned from both the seats
03:05and the Rashtati had accepted the resignation,
03:09it was only a lot of speculation that will Dr. Puri be given a place.
03:14And because he is a sitting Union Minister and, you know, the procedure is that an MP can become a
03:26Union Minister
03:27and a Union Minister can continue to be in Council of Ministers, even if he is not a Member of
03:32Parliament,
03:33but it has to be done within a gap of just six months.
03:35So keeping that in mind, and this is a message that is coming from the Union Government
03:41and from the self-leadership of the BJP, that they continue to have faith in Mr. Puri and the work
03:47that he is doing.
03:50Maria, I would also want you to help us just, you know, understand contextually this shift from Uttar Pradesh
03:57to now him representing Madhya Pradesh.
03:59How would that fit in to the very equation?
04:01I don't see that's a big deal. That's really not really the point here.
04:05Whether he represents Uttar Pradesh or he represents the state of Madhya Pradesh and the Rajasabha.
04:10This is the House of Seniors.
04:12You know, MPs come from all across the country.
04:17They may not be even, you know, residents of that particular state.
04:21So that happens.
04:22It's essentially the balancing which the BJP has done in this particular case.
04:25They wanted someone from the Punjabi community in the Union Council of Ministers going ahead into the state of elections
04:35which are going to take place in the state of Punjab.
04:37And Hadeep Singh Puri's bill, he will be seen actively, you know, campaigning.
04:43That is something that the party could not have afforded.
04:46Is the speculation here?
04:47Whether it's Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh or any other state, doesn't really matter.
04:51Right, right.
04:52So, Maria, at this given point, when we're speaking of the Punjab polls as well,
04:55this comes in as a move to push forward that representation in the upper house as well.
05:02And this will go in to be seen as, you know, another step forward at this given point
05:08towards an election that they're preparing for.
05:13No, not really.
05:14So, in the upper house also, the representation from a community doesn't really matter.
05:19For the BJP in particular in the state where they are trying to forge an alliance with the Akali Dal.
05:24The Akali Dal and the BJP alliance have been one of the oldest alliances in the history of Indian politics.
05:31It lasted for 23 years.
05:33And then the Akali's walked out of the alliance, you know, making the farmer's bill as the talking point
05:39just ahead of the last election which was held in 2022.
05:44So, you know, that's all politics on the part of Sirmani Akali Dal.
05:49Now, it looks like that they also realize that when it is about the urban pockets,
05:54they would rather have the BJP on board in a state where they are also fighting for their survival.
06:00It's an important election for the Akali's as well.
06:02That's why they need the BJP.
06:04Just as much the BJP needs Sirmani Akali Dal in the state of Punjab.
06:08Having spoken about Punjab, I think Mr. Puri's nomination from the state of Madhya Pradesh
06:16isn't really the important point here.
06:18The point is that he will continue to be a minister, that he will continue to be a member of
06:24parliament.
06:25The BJP is sending a message that despite all the questions being raised by opposition with regards to Spain
06:31and his alleged involvement and his, you know, association with Jeffrey Epstein,
06:38the party is sending a message that they continue to have faith in the work that Hadid Singh Puri is
06:43doing.
06:44He handles a very crucial portfolio of petroleum and energy.
06:47And as a petroleum minister, he certainly played an important role during this entire energy crisis because he is a
06:56former diplomat.
06:57So he used those skills and those contacts in ensuring that the energy crisis is handled well in the country.
07:05Right, Maria.
07:06So here the messaging definitely is very crucial at this given point, Maria.
07:10So especially given the fact that in the recent past itself, there were those Epstein allegations against Mr. Puri
07:17and now the party has really come out to send that big signal that we have our faith in Hardeeb
07:22Singh Puri
07:22and he has a very crucial portfolio that he handles at this given point.
07:29That's the message that we're looking at. Anything you would have to say with regards to the timing?
07:36Not really. Again, look, the date for the MP elections was announced by the election commission last week.
07:46So the party had to come up with a name who will be representing
07:50because L. Murgan's seat that he represents from the state of Madhya Pradesh still has four more years to go.
07:58So his tenure was to end only in 2030.
08:01Mr. Murgan resigned in 2026.
08:03So he has four years to go.
08:05Mr. Puri gets that time as a member of parliament and he can continue in office as a minister as
08:12well.
08:12So this is essentially managing the representation from the Sikh community and keeping in mind his role that has been
08:20done,
08:22you know, particularly during the entire state of Hormuz, you know, shutting down and the choking of which happened
08:29and keeping in mind largely the balancing which is needed with regards to the energy crisis.
08:34And, of course, I would also say that the party is sending a message that they continue to have faith
08:40in Hardeep Singh Puri
08:42despite all the allegations which have surfaced with regards to his association and alleged association with Jeffrey Epstein.
08:50Right, Maya. Thank you for summing that up for us.
08:54And well, viewers, there are several factors, of course, when we are speaking of this very move that's now come
09:00in.
09:00It's an approval that's been given to Hardeep Singh Puri being pushed forward by the BJP, being fielded by the
09:05BJP
09:07for the Rajya Sabhar race at this point, that one seat that was vacated by Al Murugan.
09:11Of course, representation comes to the forefront.
09:14Of course, him holding currently a very crucial portfolio in the cabinet of Prime Minister Modi as well.
09:22And, of course, in the recent past, we've seen the kind of allegations that have come in
09:25and the opposition had kept asking this question to the government presently with regards to whether they have their faith
09:32in Hardeep Singh Puri.
09:33This particular move by the BJP goes a long way into giving an answer to all of those questions and
09:39speculations that have been posed against him.
