New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah will contest the Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat on August 8 to make his debut in the Parliament. Shah is a sitting MLA from Naranpura in Ahmedabad.

Health minister J P Nadda made the announcement after the party's parliamentary board meeting. I&B and Textiles minister Smriti Irani will be BJP's other Rajya Sabha nominee from Gujarat. Irani's tenure as an MP of the Upper House ends on August 18.

The parliamentary board, attended by PM Narendra Modi, also named Sampatiya Uikey, a tribal leader from MP, for the Rajya Sabha bypoll necessitated by Anil Madhav Dave's death.

Shah is a five-term MLA but his absence in Parliament was increasingly felt as he has been busy with party activities in the national capital. Moreover, the party will get a strong voice in the House of Elders. Shah and Irani are likely to file their nominations on Thursday.

Although BJP has only announced it will contest two seats, there is a possibility of a third candidate, which could create hurdles for Congress veteran Ahmed Patel who has filed his nomination.

Congress has 57 MLAs in the 182-member Gujarat assembly and Ahmed Patel will require the support of 45 MLAs to win. However, 11 Congress MLAs had voted for NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind and BJP has 27 surplus votes.Shankarsinh Vaghela has already revolted and resigned from Congress.

The terms of nine Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat and West Bengal are ending on August 18.These include Irani, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien. CPM has not renominated Yechury.