BJP national president JP Nadda, along with three other candidates from the party, including a prominent diamond merchant and an OBC leader, was officially elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat on Tuesday, as reported by PTI. With four vacant Rajya Sabha seats in the state, the BJP had fielded as many candidates.
Since there were no other candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat, Returning Officer Reeta Mehta declared all four BJP nominees, including Nadda, elected unopposed to the Upper House of Parliament, as confirmed by an official.
Tuesday was the deadline for the withdrawal of nomination forms.
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According to the PTI report, in addition to JP Nadda, the three other candidates elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha were diamond baron Govindbhai Dholakia, BJP leaders Jasvantsinh Parmar and Mayank Nayak. Although a person named Paresh Mulani submitted nomination papers, his candidature was rejected during scrutiny due to lack of support from any MLA, as per the mandatory rules, stated Returning Officer Reeta Mehta.
Considering that the 182-member Gujarat Assembly had a record 156 BJP MLAs, party candidates' election to the Rajya Sabha was certain. The Congress, which has fifteen MLAs, and other opposition parties had opted not to field candidates for the biannual Rajya Sabha elections due to the saffron outfit's domination in the Assembly.
The electoral college for these polls was formed by the elected members of state legislative assemblies. Two of the four seats falling vacant were held by the BJP and the Congress.
Outgoing Rajya Sabha MPs From Gujarat
In the 2018 elections, two Congress candidates, Amee Yagnik and Naran Rathwa, secured seats in the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. Meanwhile, Union ministers Parshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya, both BJP members, emerged victorious in the 2018 RS elections from the state. Their terms are about to end now.
Rupala and Mandaviya were not nominated for the Rajya Sabha polls this time, indicating a possible candidacy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by the BJP. Nayak, an OBC leader, currently serves as the president of the state BJP's OBC Morcha. He has previously held the position of BJP in-charge for Patan district.
Dholakia is the founder and chairman of Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt Ltd, a renowned diamond manufacturing and exporting company based in Surat. Additionally, he is recognized for his philanthropic endeavors. Parmar is a BJP leader who belongs to Godhra in the Panchmahal district.