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New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda, IT minister Ashwani Vaishnaw, education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi were among the 41 candidates who won seats unopposed in the latest round of the Rajya Sabha elections.
As the last date of withdrawing nominations ended on Tuesday, 41 out of 59 candidates virtually secured their victories although the results will be formally announced on February 27. The remaining 15 seats, which include 10 for Uttar Pradesh, four for Karnataka and one for Himachal Pradesh, is expected to see contests, especially in UP and Karnataka, as political rivals have fielded candidates.
In Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP is set to win seven of the 10 seats in this round of the biennial polls, the party has fielded Sanjay Seth to snatch the third seat from Samajwadi Party. In Karnataka, Janata Dal (Secular) has filed the candidature of Kupendra Swamy to scuttle the chances of Congress’ third candidate, GC Chandrasekhar. In Himachal Pradesh, where Congress candidate Abhishek Singhvi has sufficient votes to win the lone seat, the BJP has fielded Harsh Mahajan.
Nadda, nominated as the party’s candidate from the seat fallen vacant in Gujarat, was elected unopposed. The party president’s term in the BJP has been extended till June. Vaishnaw has been elected for a second time to the Upper House with support from the ruling Biju Janata Dal from Odisha, while minister of state for information and broadcasting L Murugan was elected unopposed from Madhya Pradesh.
There was speculation that both the ministers would contest the Lok Sabha polls from the their respective states, Odisha and Tamil Nadu, but the party leadership sprung a surprise by nominating them to the Rajya Sabha.
The BJP only nominated four members, Nadda, Vaishnaw, Murugan and party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, for a second term. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has instructed lawmakers to contest at least one direct election, particularly those who have had two terms and more in the House of Elders, according to people aware of the details who wished to remain unnamed.
From Gujarat, diamond baron Govindbhai Dholakia, party leader Jasvantsinh Parmar and OBC Morcha chief Mayank Nayak were also elected unopposed.
JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, credited with working behind the scenes for the BJP and JD(U) becoming allies again, was also nominated to the Rajya Sabha. “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Honorable Chief Minister and the revered National President of JD (U), Shri @NitishKumar Ji, who has bestowed upon me this opportunity. Committed to the values and ideals established by him in public life, I am dedicated to raising important issues of my region, state, and country in the upper house of Parliament,” Jha said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
In West Bengal, four Trinamool Congress and one BJP nominee won unopposed. “It is with great pride and a sense of purpose that our leaders, @sagarikaghose, @SushmitaDevAITC, Mamata Thakur, and @MdNadimulHaque6, secured their positions in the Rajya Sabha. With a majority of them being women, our hearts brim with greater joy, as this diverse representation promises a more inclusive and dynamic approach to addressing the needs and aspirations of our people,” Trinamool Congress posted on X.
The BJP’s Shamik Bhattacharya became the first from his party to reach Rajya Sabha from West Bengal.
From National Students’ Union of India’s Rajasthan chief Vinod Jakhar to party general secretary Ghulam Mir, leaders noted Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi’s uncontested victory in Rajasthan. Gandhi would be in the Rajya Sabha for the first time in her parliamentary career since 1999. “Heartiest #Congratulations to the Hon’ble CPP Chairperson and our leader, Madam Sonia Gandhi ji, on being elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. We trust her to keep raising the voices of the weakest in the Parliament. Wishing her a fruitful tenure,” Mir said.
The two other seats from Rajasthan went to the BJP’s Chunnilal Garasia and Madan Rathore.
In Maharashtra, all six candidates won the election. Medha Kulkarni, Ajit Gopchade and Ashok Chavan, who left the Congress days before the polls, bagged a Rajya Sabha berth. Shiv Sena’s Milind Deora, Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel and Congress candidate Chandrakant Handore also won the election.
Nadda, Sonia among 41 elected to Rajya Sabha unopposed – Hindustan Times
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