Congress Leader Deepender Singh Hooda Elected Unopposed To Rajya Sabha From Haryana

Two BJP nominees Ram Chander Jangra and Dushyant Kumar Gautam and one Congress' aspirant Deepender Singh Hooda were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Haryana on Wednesday.

"They have been declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha," said Returning officer Ajit Balaji Joshi. The declaration of the three candidates elected to the Rajya Sabha was made on the last date for withdrawal of nominations.

All candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections from Haryana had submitted their nomination papers on March 13.

The BJP had named its backward class leader Jangra and party vice-president Gautam while Congress had named Hooda, its former MP from Rohtak.

Two of the Rajya Sabha vacancies had arisen due to resignation of BJP's Ram Kumar Kashyap, who was elected as party MLA in assembly polls last year, and the impending expiry of the term of veteran Congress leader Kumari Selja next month.

Jangra and Deepender had entered the race to fill these vacancies which would last a full term till April 2026.

A third vacancy had arisen following the resignation of former Union minister and BJP leader Birender Singh. Gautam has been elected to the Upper House against this vacancy for the remainder of Singh's term, which would last till August 2022.

Deepender had been a three-time Lok Sabha member from Rohtak. In 2019, he narrowly lost to BJP's Arvind Sharma as the saffron party had won all 10 parliamentary seats from the state.