Jha and Jatiya filed papers before the returning officer Raj Kumar Pandey in the presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, state BJP president Narendra Singh Tomar and others.
Going by their respective numerical strength in the state legislature, of the three Rajya Sabha seats from the state which would fall vacant this year, two should go to the BJP and one to the opposition Congress.
Nomination papers would be scrutinised on January 29 and withdrawal is allowed till January 31, while the voting, if necessary, would be held on February 7.