Rajya Sabha Election: Six Elected Unopposed From Tamil Nadu, One From Himachal Pradesh And Two From Chhattisgarh

Chennai/Shimla/Raipur: All six candidates who contested the Rajya Sabha elections from Tamil Nadu were elected unopposed on Monday. Similarly, Congress leader Anurag Sharma was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Himachal Pradesh. In Chhattisgarh, BJP candidate Laxmi Verma and Congress' Phulo Devi Netam were elected unopposed to the upper House of Parliament.

The deadline for withdrawing nominations for the six vacant Rajya Sabha seats in the state ended at 3 pm on the day. Rajya Sabha Election Officer Shanthi, said, "All six candidates who contested the Rajya Sabha elections from Tamil Nadu have been elected unopposed".

Shanthi said, Thambidurai from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss of Pattali Makkal Katchi, Christopher Thilak from Congress, Trichy Siva and Prof Constantine Ravindran from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and LK Suthees from Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam were elected unopposed as per Section 53(2) of the Representation of People Act, 1951, and Rule 11(1) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.

Thambidurai, Anbumani Ramadoss and LK Suthees were given certificates of their election to the upper House of the Parliament by Shanthi.

Those who contested and won on behalf of the DMK alliance will be given the certificates in the presence of Chief Minister MK Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

LK Sutheesh will enter the Parliament for the first time from DMDK. On the other hand, Trichy Siva and Thambidurai have the distinction of having been to the Rajya Sabha the maximum number of times.

A total of 18 persons had filed their nominations and of them, one withdrew her nomination. The nomination of seven others were rejected during scrutiny. Tamil Nadu has a total of 18 MPs in the Rajya Sabha.

Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Secretariat officially handed over the certificate of election to Rajya Sabha to Sharma. The Secretariat had received only one nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections. March 9 was the last date for withdrawal of nominations. Since there were no other candidates, Sharma was declared elected unopposed. The term of current Rajya Sabha MP Indu Goswami ends on April 9. Following the expiry of her term, Sharma will be sworn in as a Rajya Sabha member.

Meanwhile, a formal complaint has been filed with the Election Commission, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, and the Returning Officer of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, alleging that Sharma, concealed his assets during the nomination process and violated election rules. The complaint was filed by Dharamshala-based advocate Nitasha Katoch.

The complaint states that Sharma in his election affidavit filed along with his nomination did not provide complete and accurate details of his assets, as required under Section 33 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The complaint states that, as per the law, a candidate is required to provide complete details of his and his family's movable and immovable assets when filing nomination papers. Deliberate concealment of any information is considered a violation of the law, the complaint stated.

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