Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has been declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha, India's Upper House of Parliament, representing Madhya Pradesh. The election was confirmed on November 5, 2026, after the deadline for withdrawing nominations expired with Puri as the sole remaining candidate.
Puri's path to the Rajya Sabha was cleared following the rejection of nomination papers from two other contenders during the scrutiny process. These included Kante Sayanna and Rajkumar Lohani, who was backed by the Congress party. The by-election had initially been scheduled for November 12, but the absence of other qualified candidates made voting unnecessary.
Background of the Vacancy
The seat in the Rajya Sabha became vacant in October after former Union Minister L Murugan resigned from the Upper House. Murugan's term was originally set to conclude on April 2, 2030. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) subsequently nominated Hardeep Singh Puri, a seasoned diplomat and a prominent figure in the Union Cabinet, to contest this vacant position from Madhya Pradesh.
Official Confirmation and Party Reaction
Returning Officer Umesh Sharma officially declared Puri elected. Madhya Pradesh BJP president Hemant Khandelwal collected Puri's election certificate, accompanied by other party leaders. Khandelwal confirmed to reporters that Puri, the official BJP candidate, was elected unopposed in the by-election for the vacant Rajya Sabha seat.
Following the formal completion of the election process, Khandelwal, along with state BJP organisation general secretary Chandrashekhar, met with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to apprise him of the development. Puri, 74, will now serve his term in the Rajya Sabha representing the state of Madhya Pradesh.