00:00Bringing you a big breaking news at the moment.
00:04The BJP has announced Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha by-election from Madhya
00:10Pradesh.
00:11The BJP's Central Election Committee has approved Puri's candidature for the 2026 by-election.
00:17This seat had fallen vacant after Union Minister El Murugan had resigned from his Rajya Sabha seat representing Madhya Pradesh
00:24on October 13.
00:26With Puri's candidature now being announced, the BJP has named its choice for the upcoming bi-poll.
00:32The move has raised prospects of Puri being retained in the Modi cabinet also.
00:37Puri has been instrumental in India for meeting its energy needs despite the ongoing West Asia crisis.
00:44Now this is definitely seen as a big signal that Puri may stay on in the Modi cabinet.
00:49Hardeep Singh Puri is currently the Petroleum Minister of the country and Puri has been key in India's fight against
00:57the global energy gloom amid the West Asia war.
01:00He's played a key role in securing India's energy needs as well.
01:04Also BJP has fielded Hardeep Singh Puri for the Rajya Sabha seat now and Hardeep Singh Puri now is in
01:11the Rajya Sabha race for Madhya Pradesh as well.
01:14Remember Hardeep Singh Puri's RS bi-poll candidature has come in from Madhya Pradesh and he will be contesting the
01:21seat that has been vacated by El Murugan.
01:24And El Murugan had left the Modi cabinet quick Rajya Sabha and B seat as well.
01:29Piyush Mishra is now joining in to share with us more details on the same as well on the phone
01:34line.
01:34Piyush, go on, tell us, you know, what does it signal for Hardeep Singh Puri as his candidature has been
01:41announced by the BJP.
01:42The only Sikh minister in Modi, Sarkar, may now be retaining his candidature as far as the Modi cabinet is
01:49also concerned.
01:50And now he'll be fighting and contesting elections on the Rajya Sabha MP seat.
01:54Well, that's very significant. Why? Because you would remember a day, a few days back, BJP had released a list
02:02of candidates for UP Rajya Sabha elections.
02:05But Hardeep Puri's name was missing as he was MP from Uttar Pradesh.
02:10Now, after the announcement of names of candidates from Uttar Pradesh, Al Murugan, who was minister in Modi government,
02:19had resigned from the Modi cabinet and had also resigned from the Rajya Sabha as he comes from Uttar Pradesh.
02:27Now, what is important here is that Hardeep Puri has been given the ticket from Uttar Pradesh on the place
02:34of Al Murugan.
02:34And this Rajya Sabha seat, the candidature is till 2020, which is certainly significant.
02:46Why? Because Hardeep Puri is now going to be Rajya Sabha member for a longer period of time.
02:51Absolutely. Thanks, Piyush, for getting us those details.
02:54Remember, Hardeep Puri's current Rajya Sabha term ends in November and already now he is now being selected as the
03:01choice of BJP for the Rajya Sabha MP seat.
03:04Now, going forward from here, it's an important development.
03:07Thank you, Piyush.
03:07Thank you, Piyush.
