Four BJP candidates elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Gujarat

Four Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates have been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat after no opposition party fielded candidates for the vacant seats, officials said on Thursday.

The Election Commission declared Rajubhai Shukla, Mukeshbhai Rathwa, Mansinh Parmar and Jitendra Meghjibhai Kanjaria elected unopposed, eliminating the need for polling scheduled on June 18.

The development comes amid the ongoing election process for vacant Rajya Sabha seats in several states, including Gujarat.

With the BJP enjoying an overwhelming majority in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, opposition parties did not enter the contest. The BJP currently has 161 MLAs in the Assembly, while the Congress has 12 members and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has five.

Mukesh Rathwa, one of the newly elected members, hails from the tribal community in Chhota Udepur district and has served as BJP general secretary and state vice-president of the BJP Yuva Morcha.

Jitendra Kanjaria, a prominent BJP leader from Devbhoomi Dwarka district belonging to the Satwara community, is the son of former Khambhalia MLA Meghjibhai Kanjaria, who died during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

Mansinh Parmar, from the Rajput community, currently serves as president of the Gujarat BJP's Bakshipanch Morcha.

Rajubhai Shukla, a BJP leader from the Kadi-Kalol region and belonging to the Brahmin community, is currently the party's in-charge for Surendranagar district.

The election schedule for the Rajya Sabha seats included issuance of the notification on June 1, filing of nominations by June 8, scrutiny on June 9 and withdrawal of nominations by June 11. Polling and counting were scheduled for June 18, but will no longer be required in Gujarat due to the uncontested election.

The terms of the outgoing Rajya Sabha members from Gujarat are due to end on June 21.

Among them is Gujarat Congress president and the party's lone Rajya Sabha member from the state, Shaktisinh Gohil. With no Congress candidate entering the fray, the party will have no representation from Gujarat in the Upper House after June.