BHUBANESWAR: Ruling BJD candidate Narendra Kumar Swain was on Monday declared elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Odisha. Assembly Secretary-cum-Returning Officer AK Sarangi announced Swain’s election as he was the only candidate in the fray as neither Congress nor BJP fielded any candidate for the by-poll.
The Rajya Sabha seat had been vacant since July 25, 2015 following the death of Kalpataru Das. Das was elected in April, 2014. Swain had filed two sets of nomination papers at the office of the Assembly Secretary on December 3. Swain’s election to RS was announced after the last date for withdrawal, which was on Monday.
As there was no contestant against Swain, he was declared elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha, Sarangi said.