by Bhupen Goswami

GUWAHATI : Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Assam on Monday as no other candidate filed his nomination papers for the seat. Assam Assembly official said, Sonowal on Monday collected the winner’s certificate from assam assembly secretariat in Dispur in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state BJP president Bhabesh Kalita, water resources minister Pijesh Harika. Sonowal expressed gratitude to all the members of the Assembly and the people of the state.

The former Chief Minister of Assam had filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha on September 21, 2021.Union Minister for Shipping, Port, Waterways and AYUSH Sonowal had won the assembly elections from Majuli constituency. After the BJP-led alliance came to power in Assam this year, the party high command announced the introduction of Himanta Biswa Sarma, who served as finance and health minister during the Sonowal regime, as chief minister. Sonowal was made cabinet minister in the Narendra Modi ministry after Sarma became the Chief Minister of Assam. Sonowal has been given portfolios of shipping, ports, waterways and AYUSH. But Sonowal needed to be elected to the Rajya Sabha to continue his current role in the central government. The Rajya Sabha bypoll in Assam was scheduled to be held on October 4, 2021 but since there was no other candidate fielded by any party, Sonowal was declared the winner of the Rajya Sabha bypoll.