Union Minister Hardeep Puri will be BJP's Rajya Sabha candidate from Uttar Pradesh

NEW DELHI: Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri will be BJP's Rajya Sabha candidate from Uttar Pradesh. The former diplomat is expected to be elected to the Upper House of the Parliament next month, when three members from Delhi will also get their tickets to the Rajya Sabha. An IFS officer of 1974 batch, Puri has served as India's permanent representative to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013. He has also served as Chairman of United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee. Puri will fill up the seat from Uttar Pradesh vacated by former Defence Minister and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. Parrikar's term in the upper house was to end on November 25, 2020. The EC had said that the bypoll to fill up the Rajya Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh will also be held on January 16. Along with Delhi and UP, northeastern state Sikkim will also send one member to Rajya Sabha on the same date. The notification will be issued on December 29. The voting and counting will be held on January 16.