MP, June 12 : Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan concluded without voting on Thursday after all remaining candidates were declared elected unopposed following the withdrawal deadline.
In Maharashtra, NCP nominee Rajendra Jain won the bypoll for the Upper House seat vacated by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.
Madhya Pradesh saw the BJP capture all three available seats, with Tarun Chugh, Rajneesh Agarwal and Mahesh Kewat declared elected. The contest had generated intense political interest after the BJP fielded a third candidate despite lacking a comfortable numerical advantage in the Assembly, prompting speculation over possible cross voting.
The situation changed after Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination was rejected over alleged non-disclosure of details related to a case in Telangana. Efforts to secure restoration of her nomination did not succeed, effectively clearing the path for BJP nominees.
Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar criticised the handling of the matter, questioning the Election Commission’s response to Congress objections and describing the episode as a test of the credibility of the democratic process.
In Karnataka, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party nominees Mansoor Ali Khan and Pawan Khera, along with BJP candidate M. Nagaraja, were elected unopposed after scrutiny led to the rejection of an Independent contender’s nomination.
Rajasthan’s biennial election also turned into a straightforward affair, with BJP nominees Satish Poonia and Alka Gurjar and Congress candidate Neeraj Dangi securing election without a contest. The result leaves the state’s Rajya Sabha strength evenly divided between the BJP and Congress, with five members each.