Odisha: All 3  Rajya Sabha candidates from state declared elected unopposed

By Mahendra Sarjee

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 21: All three Rajya Sabha candidates who had filed their nominations were on Tuesday declared elected unopposed as no other nominees from other parties contested for the three vacant seats.

The three elected RS nominees are Debasish Samantaray and Subashish Khuntia of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Ashwini Vaishnaw of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Speaking to the media in the afternoon, the returning officer for the Rajya Sabha elections, Abanikant Patnaik said, “The nominations of the three nominees for the Rajya Sabha seats remained valid. They are declared elected unopposed.”

He also added that as there were three vacant seats and three candidates only filed their nominations, there was no need for voting for these posts.

Patnaik said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has been intimated about the status of the nomination. 

“Had any other candidates been in the fray, elections to the three RS seats would have been held on February 27,” he added.