DEHRADUN: BJP candidate from Uttarakhand Kalpana Saini was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
The certificate of election was handed to Saini by Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabhba Secretary Mukesh Singhal in the presence of cabinet minister Premchand Aggarwal, Dehradun Mayor Sunil Uniyal Gama and state BJP spokesman Shadab Shams.
Friday was the last day for the withdrawal of nominations and Saini was alone in the fray.
Saini's unopposed election was just a formality as the Congress did not field any candidate.
Saini will take over from Congress' s Pradeep Tamta whose tenure ends next month.
BJP has 47 members in the 70-member Uttarakhand Assembly, Congress 19 , BSP two and Independents two.
Saini is the second woman from Uttarakhand to have been elected to the Rajya Sabha after late Manorama Dobriyal Sharma of the Congress who was elected to the Upper House in 2014.
Soon after her election , Saini was accorded a grand reception at the state BJP office here.
State BJP general secretary (organisation) Ajeya Kumar said Saini has worked consistently among women and the OBCs.
It was in recognition of her distinguished work that the BJP had sent her to the Rajya Sabha.
Saini said the she will try to meet the expectations of her party which has shown so much confidence in her.