Bhopal, Feb 14 (IANS): The BJP on Wednesday announced four candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections from Madhya Pradesh, while the Congress is yet to open its cards.

The BJP has retained the Minister of State (MoS) for Information and Broadcasting, L Murugan for the second tenure for the Rajya Sabha.

The other three BJP candidates are Umesh Nath Maharaj, who is the head of Balmiki Dham Ashram in Ujjain, Maya Naroliya who is president of MP BJP Women’s wing, and BJP’s Kisan Morcha president Bansilal Gurjar.

Five Rajya Sabha seats are falling vacant in Madhya Pradesh as the term of the incumbent members is expiring. Of them four are with the ruling BJP and one is with the Congress.

Having 163 MLAs, the BJP can win four seats for the Upper House comfortably, while the Congress has just 66 MLAs.

In the 230 Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, it takes 39 votes to elect one Rajya Sabha MP, and therefore, the BJP will have seven extra MLAs.

If the BJP fields its candidate for the fifth seat also, it would require 32 cross votes from the Congress.

Similarly, the Congress is in the position to win one seat, but if it attempts to go for two seats, it would require 12 cross votes from the BJP MLAs.

However, the Congress is yet to announce its candidate for the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh.

Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath, who is said to be the top contender for the Rajya Sabha seat, left for Delhi on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday night, he invited Congress MLAs for dinner at his residence in Bhopal.