S Selvaganapathi is the 10th member of Rajya Sabha from Puducherry since 1962.
New Delhi:
The BJP on Monday celebrated the election of its first Rajya Sabha MP from Puducherry, a milestone for the party that has been struggling for a long time to enter the south of the country.
S Selvaganapathi was declared elected without any competition for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Puducherry.
Secretary of the Territorial Assembly R Mounisamy said in a press release that Mr Selvaganapathi was declared elected unopposed for the seat to be vacated on October 6.
This is the first time that the BJP is getting representation from Puducherry in the Upper House.
BJP President JP Nadda appreciated the occasion:
Historic – BJP’s first Rajya Sabha MP from Puducherry!
I congratulate S Selvaganabathi ji on being unanimously elected as a member of Rajya Sabha from Puducherry. I also congratulate @sarbanandsonwal g and @murugan_MoS G to become RS member from Assam and MP respectively. pic.twitter.com/V8Dz7vgqcl
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) September 27, 2021
Today was the last day to withdraw nominations.
The nomination papers of Shri Selvaganapathi alone were found to be in order, while the nominations of five other candidates (independents) were rejected as they did not have the required number of proposers.
Shri Selvaganapathi is the 10th member of Rajya Sabha from Puducherry since 1962.
He filed his nomination with the support of the NR Congress, which is heading a coalition government in Puducherry, of which the BJP is a part.
In the elections held in April, the NR Congress and the BJP secured a majority in the 33-member assembly, winning 10 and six seats respectively. He is also supported by three nominated members.
The DMK, which had an alliance with the ruling Congress to come to power in Tamil Nadu, also won six seats.
The Congress won just two seats – a steep decline of 15 from its tally in 2016.
The remaining six seats have been claimed by independent candidates.
(with inputs from PTI)
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