LUCKNOW: BJP candidate Jai Prakash Nishad was declared elected to Rajya Sabha unopposed from Uttar Pradesh on Monday.
Nishad was the lone candidate to have filed nomination for the by-election and Monday was the last date for withdrawal of candidature.
Nishad has been declared elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha, Election Officer Brij Bhushan Dubey told PTI.
He was handed over the certificate declaring his election, Dubey said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated Nishad on his election to the upper house unopposed, an official spokesman said.
Nishad filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha by-election on Thursday.
The by-election was necessitated following the death of Samajwadi Party MP Beni Prasad Verma.
His tenure was till July 4, 2022.
Nishad had formerly been a former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA and had joined the BJP a few years ago.
Nishad's victory was a foregone conclusion, given the overwhelming majority the BJP enjoys in the 403-member Assembly.
The BJP has 306 MLAs, followed by the Samajwadi Party 48.
The BSP has 18 MLAs, while the Apna Dal (Sonelal), an ally of the BJP, has nine MLAs.
The Congress has seven MLAs and the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party has four.
There are three Independent MLAs in the House.
The Rashtriya Lok Dal and Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Apna Dal has one MLA each in the Assembly.