Gujarat: BJP Wins Two Rajya Sabha By-Poll Seats, Including One Formerly Held By Ahmed Patel

The BJP on Monday (22 February) registered a victory on two Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat which were up for by-polls following the incumbent members' demise.

The seats were earlier held by senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel and BJP leader Abhay Ganpatray Bhardwaj, who recently died. The new BJP MPs for these seats are Dineshchamdra Jemalbhai Ananvadiya and Rambhai Harjibhai Mokariya.

In November 2020, Ahmed Patel aged 71 had passed away after battling with COVID-19. He suffered multiple organ failures due to his deteriorating health condition as a result of coronavirus infection.

In 2017 Patel had won the Rajya Sabha seat amid high drama after Congress leaders had turned rebel, thereby threatening his reelection and paving the way for a potential BJP win.

He subsequently won after the ballots of the two rebel lawmakers, were declared invalid by the Election Commission. The two lawmakers had reportedly shown their ballot paper to the BJP workers after casting their mandate.