Former UP Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma elected to Rajya Sabha unopposed

Former Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma has been declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from the state as the BJP leader was the only candidate to file nomination for the September 15 by-election, officials said on Friday.

The by-election was necessitated due to the death of incumbent MP Hardwar Dubey, who was also from the BJP. The term of the seat is till November 2026.

"Dinesh Sharma has been declared elected unopposed," Assistant Returning Officer Ajit Sharma told PTI.

Barring Sharma, no other candidate had filed nomination papers, he said.

After being elected unopposed, Sharma, in a statement, expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president J P Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary and BJP's central and state leadership.

He added that he will try to live up to the trust reposed in him by the party leadership.

"Now the only goal will be to contribute to form the (BJP) government for the third time in 2024 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre. And, to establish an emerging India on top of the world under his leadership," Sharma said, and described the achievements of the central and state governments as unmatched.

"Schemes for the welfare of the poor are not being liked by the opposition parties who exploit the poor. This is the reason for their nervousness," Sharma said.

Sharma's election was all but certain due to the strong majority the BJP enjoys in the state assembly. Like Dubey, he is also from the Brahmin community.

Sharma was one of the two deputy chief ministers in the first term of the Chief Minister Adityanath-led government between 2017 and 2022.