AIADMK Candidate N. Gokulakrishnan was declared elected unopposed to the lone Rajya Sabha seat of Union Territory of Puducherry on Monday.
With this election, AIADMK’s tally in the Rajya Sabha has increased to 12 from 11.
At the end of election process, Assembly Secretary and Returning Officers S.Mohandass formally declared that Mr. Gokulakrishnan was elected as Member of Parliament unopposed after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations passed.
The nominations of four other independents had been rejected during scrutiny.
In the declaration, Mr.Mohandass said, “ I declare that N.Gokulakrishnan of Reddiarpalayam, Puducherry sponsored by the AIADMK has been duly elected to fill the seat in that House of one member whose term of office is due to expire on October 6, on the expiration of his term of office.”
The Rajya Sabha poll was necessitated as Congress leader P.Kannan’s term is due to close by October 6. The Rajya Sabha poll process was set in motion with a formal notification on September 10.
After much drama over the candidature, industrialist and confidante of Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, N.Gokulakrishnan who was being pushed as AINRC nominee, was inducted as an AIADMK member and filed nomination as its candidate on Friday morning. Mr. Gokulakrishnan’s nomination was proposed by AIADMK MLAs.
Nomination rejected
On Saturday, the Returning Officer rejected the nomination papers of four other independent candidates for the reasons such as non-affixture of 10 MLAs’ signatures. That left Mr.Gokulakrishnan as the only candidate in fray.
As per schedule of the poll, last date for withdrawal was Monday. Thereafter a formal declaration was issued by the Returning Officer.
After a gap of nearly 38 years the AIADMK is getting its representative elected as Rajya Sabha MP from Puducherry. In 1977, the AIADMK nominated V.P. Munusamy, who emerged victorious.
The first MP to be elected from the lone Rajya Sabha seat in the Union Territory was P. Abraham of the Congress who was the MP from 1963 to 1969.
After a gap of nearly 38 years the AIADMK is getting its representative elected as Rajya Sabha MP from Puducherry
