Rajya Sabha polls: BJP, Congress win multiple seats unopposed across various states
New Delhi, June 12
Manipur BJP president Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi was elected unopposed to the lone Rajya Sabha seat from the state. Candidates for Rajasthan's three Rajya Sabha seats were also elected unopposed.
After being elected, BJP's Sharda Devi told reporters, "After becoming a member of Raj Sabha, I will work for the welfare of the people of Manipur."
From Rajasthan, BJP candidates Satish Poonia and Alka Singh Gurjar, along with Congress candidate Neeraj Dangi, were declared elected unopposed after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations passed.
The Returning Officer for the Rajya Sabha election, Bharat Bhushan Sharma, announced the election of Alka Singh and Satish Poonia of the BJP and Neeraj Dangi of the Indian National Congress (INC).
Following the declaration, the Returning Officer handed over certificates of election to all three candidates.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty was elected unopposed as Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu. He paid tribute to former Chief Minister and party stalwart K Kamaraj at his residence in Chennai's T Nagar. Kamraj is widely regarded as one of Tamil Nadu's most influential political figures.
On Thursday, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar congratulated Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leaders Pawan Khera and Mansoor Ali Khan on being elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha.
All four candidates, three from Congress and BJP M Nagaraja, were declared elected unopposed in the biennial elections to four seats from Karnataka after the nomination of the independent candidate was rejected.
In a post on X, DK Shivakumar congratulated the Congress leaders while expressing confidence that the elected leaders will champion Karnataka's interests in Parliament.
"Heartiest Congratulations to Mallikarjun Kharge, Shri Pawan Khera, and Shri Mansoor Ali Khan on being elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka," he said, adding, "I am confident that they will champion Karnataka's interests in Parliament, effectively voicing the aspirations of our people and working towards the state's continued progress and development."
The elections were announced as the terms of four Rajya Sabha members--BJP's Iranna Kadadi and Narayana Koragappa, Mallikarjun Kharge, and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda of the JD(S)--set to expire on June 25.
Earlier, Congress' Madhya Pradesh candidate for Rajya Sabha biennial elections, Meenakshi Natrajan's nomination was cancelled after a complaint filed by the BJP alleging a discrepancy in her nomination papers.
With Natarajan's nomination cancelled, all three BJP candidates from Madhya Pradesh--Tarun Chugh, Rajneesh Agarwal and Mahesh Kewat--were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Unopposed elections make you wonder about the health of opposition parties. In Rajasthan, Congress got one seat but BJP got two — that's the reality check. Also, why was Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination cancelled? BJP complaint or genuine issue? 🤔
DK Shivakumar praising Mallikarjun Kharge and others is standard political courtesy. But honestly, Rajya Sabha should be a check on the government, not a rubber stamp. When major parties don't even contest properly, it weakens the Upper House's purpose. We need more debate and fewer walkovers.
Respect to Praveen Chakravarty for honoring K Kamaraj ji in Chennai. Kamraj was a true giant — education reforms, midday meals... He set standards that still matter. But unopposed elections feel like a missed opportunity for voters to see real political competition.
Six states, so many unopposed seats — BJP is clearly dominant but Congress is also getting its share where it matters. What worries me is the cancellation of Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination. Any technical glitch should be transparently explained. Democracy thrives on trust.
Good to see women representation — Sharda Devi in Manipur, Alka Singh Gurjar in Rajasthan. But unopposed elections? Feels like parties are avoiding real fights. In Tamil Nadu, at least Congress got one seat. Hopefully these leaders will actually work for their states in Rajya Sabha.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.