Her path to the Rajya Sabha was cleared after the Congress chose not to field a candidate for the election, effectively ensuring an uncontested victory
KRC TIMES Manipur Bureau
Imphal : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi is set to be elected unopposed to Manipur’s lone Rajya Sabha seat after emerging as the sole candidate in the election process.
The scrutiny of nomination papers was completed on June 9, with Returning Officer and Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretary Rohit Sapam confirming that Sharda Devi’s nomination was found valid. With no other candidate entering the fray, her election to the Upper House is now a formality.
Sharda Devi, a resident of Brahmapur New Thumbuthong in Imphal East district, filed her nomination as the BJP candidate and is poised to become only the second woman from Manipur to serve in Parliament after Kim Gangte.
Her path to the Rajya Sabha was cleared after the Congress chose not to field a candidate for the election, effectively ensuring an uncontested victory.
Once formally declared elected, Sharda Devi will also become only the second Rajya Sabha member from Manipur to secure election without a contest. The late Congress leader Abdul Salam was previously elected unopposed to the Upper House in 2014.
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She will succeed BJP Rajya Sabha MP Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba, whose term is scheduled to conclude on June 21.
The election takes place against the backdrop of a 60-member Manipur Legislative Assembly that currently has 58 sitting members due to vacancies in the Tadubi and Thanlon constituencies.
The BJP remains the largest party in the Assembly with 36 MLAs. It is followed by the National People’s Party (NPP) with six members, the Naga People’s Front (NPF) with five, and the Congress with five legislators. The Kuki People’s Alliance (KPA) has two MLAs, while the remaining seats are held by a Janata Dal (United) member and two Independent legislators.
Political observers view Sharda Devi’s impending elevation to the Rajya Sabha as a significant milestone for women’s representation in Manipur’s parliamentary politics. Her election is also expected to strengthen the BJP’s presence in the Upper House while adding another female voice from the Northeast to the national legislature.
The formal declaration of results is expected following the completion of the election process.
