Union Minister L Murugan Elected Unopposed To Rajya Sabha From Madhya Pradesh

Union minister and BJP leader L Murugan was on Monday declared elected uncontested to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh.

It was the last day of withdrawal of papers as the opposition Congress did not field a candidate against him for the scheduled October 4 bypoll.

The Murugan’s entry to the Upper House from Madhya Pradesh has taken the number of BJP MPs to Rajya Sabha from the state to eight.

A senior official said Murugan was the lone candidate for the bypoll after the deadline for withdrawal of papers expired on Monday, following which he was declared elected.

"Murugan has been declared elected to the Upper House of Parliament uncontested from MP. After the time for the withdrawal of nomination papers ended today, Murugan, who remained in the fray, won the poll given the ruling party has a clear majority," Returning Officer and MP Assembly Secretariat Principal Secretary AP Singh told PTI over the phone.

Murugan was handed over the victory certificate, Singh said.

"The bypoll was scheduled to be held on October 4 but as Murugan was the lone candidate in the contest and after the deadline for withdrawal of papers expired, he was declared elected," he added.

The main opposition Congress did not field a candidate.

The byelection became necessary after then Union minister Thawarchand Gehlot resigned following his appointment as the governor of Karnataka in July this year.

Murugan, who helmed the Tamil Nadu unit of BJP until July before being inducted in the Union cabinet, is the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

As per norms, he has to become a member of Parliament within six months.

In the 230-member MP Assembly, the ruling BJP has 125 MLAs, Congress 95, Bahujan Samaj Party 2, Samajwadi Party 1, and four Independents. Three seats are lying vacant.
Of the total 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh, the BJP holds eight, including Murugan, and Congress three.

BJP Rajya Sabha MPs from Madhya Pradesh are M J Akbar, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Dharmendra Pradhan, Ajay Pratap Singh, Kailash Soni, Sumer Singh Solanki, Sampatiya Uike and Murugan.
Digvijaya Singh, Vivek Tankha and Rajmani Patel are Rajya Sabha MPs of Congress from Madhya Pradesh.

On September 18, the BJP's central leadership nominated Murugan as its nominee for the bypoll overlooking many senior leaders.

The names of BJP's Scheduled Caste Morcha national president Lal Singh Arya was doing rounds for filling the Rajya Sabha vacancy as BJP's Dalit face after Gehlot's resignation.
Names of BJP's West Bengal minder Kailash Vijaywargiya and former Union minister Uma Bharti were also discussed. (With PTI inputs)