Chennai/Shimla/Raipur: All six candidates who filed nominations for the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu were elected unopposed on Monday after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations expired, election officials confirmed.
Rajya Sabha Election Officer Shanthi announced that since no additional candidates remained in the contest, all six nominees were declared elected in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.
The candidates elected unopposed from Tamil Nadu are M. Thambidurai (AIADMK), Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss (PMK), Christopher Thilak (Congress), Trichy Siva (DMK), Prof. Constantine Ravindran (DMK), and L.K. Suthees (DMDK).
Certificates of election were issued to Thambidurai, Ramadoss and Suthees. The remaining candidates from the DMK alliance are expected to receive their certificates in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.
Among the newly elected members, L.K. Suthees will enter Parliament for the first time, while Trichy Siva and Thambidurai have previously served multiple terms in the Rajya Sabha.
According to officials, 18 candidates had initially filed nominations for the six seats. During scrutiny, seven nominations were rejected and one candidate withdrew, resulting in the remaining six candidates being elected unopposed.
Himachal Pradesh
In Himachal Pradesh, Congress leader Anurag Sharma was also elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha after the Assembly Secretariat received only one valid nomination. The last date for withdrawal of nominations was March 9.
Sharma will succeed outgoing Rajya Sabha member Indu Goswami, whose term ends on April 9.
However, a complaint has been filed with the Election Commission, Rajya Sabha Secretariat and the Returning Officer of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly alleging that Sharma did not disclose complete details of his assets in the nomination affidavit.
The complaint, filed by Dharamshala-based advocate Nitasha Katoch, claims that the affidavit did not contain full information about movable and immovable assets as required under Section 33 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Chhattisgarh
Meanwhile, in Chhattisgarh, BJP candidate Laxmi Verma and Congress nominee Phulo Devi Netam were also elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha.
