Anil Baluni was formally declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha (RS) on Thursday. The Returning Officer (RO) for the RS election from Uttarakhand, Madan Singh Kunjwal handed over the certificate of election to him on Thursday afternoon. With Opposition Congress deciding not to field its candidate for RS seat from Uttarakhand, the election of Baluni was foregone conclusion as he was the only candidate who had filed his nomination papers for the lone RS seat from the State.
There were celebrations in the State BJP office. State Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and party chief Ajay Bhatt arrived after receiving the certificate from the RO. large number of the party workers had gathered at the party office to congratulate the newly elected RS MP. Crackers were burst and sweets were distributed to each other by the jubilant party workers.
Addressing the party leaders and workers Baluni assured that he would raise issues of the state in the upper house and national capital. He claimed that he would utilised the Rs 5 crore MP local Area Development Fund allotted to him annually, properly and assured that he will make such provisions that an amount up to Rs 25 crore can be spent for welfare of people under this fund. He said that during his term he would work for making a New India and New Uttarakhand. Baluni thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party President Amit Shah for selecting him for the RS. Baluni disclosed that the Trivendra Singh Rawat Government is praised in Delhi and he particularly pointed out the zero tolerance on corruption of Uttarakhand Government as one of the reasons for it.
The State CM Rawat congratulated the newly elected MP and expressed confidence that he will represent the issues of the State in RS more emphatically. Speaking on the occasion, the State BJP Chief, Ajay Bhatt said that personality of Baluni symbolises diligence and hard work and people of the State have high expectation from him.
Baluni would replace Congress’s Mahendra Singh Mahara who is retiring after completion of a six-year term.