Ranchi: Two members have been elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand. This includes Dr. Pradeep Verma from BJP and Dr. Sarfaraz Ahmed from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). Both the candidates had filed nominations to contest the elections on March 11, but since there were only two candidates, they were declared elected. Jharkhand Assembly Secretary Syed Javed Haider has announced this. He also presented certificates to both the newly elected members.
In this way, Dr. Pradeep Verma and Dr. Sarfaraz Ahmed were declared members of Rajya Sabha without contesting the elections. The name of Mumbai businessman Harihar Mohapatra had come up to contest the elections. He had also purchased nomination papers, but did not file the nomination. For this reason there were only two candidates from Jharkhand.
According to the election schedule, today was the date for withdrawal of nominations. In his political career spanning nearly 50 years, he was associated with Congress for 46 years. He reached Lok Sabha by winning from Giridih in 1984 on Congress ticket. His father Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed has also been a Congress MP from Giridih. After his death, Sarfaraz became MP from here. In 1985, former Prime Minister Late. During the tenure of Rajiv Gandhi, he was also the National Joint Secretary of Congress.
For the first time after the separation of Jharkhand, he won the election from Gandey assembly seat on Congress ticket. After which he won the elections from Gandeya Assembly in 2009 on Congress ticket. In the seat sharing in the Congress-JMM alliance in the 2019 assembly elections, the Gandey assembly seat went to JMM. After this he joined JMM and was once again elected MLA from Gandey seat. He left the legislature two months ago.
Dr. Pradeep Verma has been associated with BJP for a long time. At present he is holding the responsibility of State General Secretary in the party. The party has selected him as its candidate for Rajya Sabha. He entered politics in 1992 as a BJP member. He continuously held various positions in the party.
After becoming a member of BJP State Working Committee and State Co-Training Chief in 2011, he remained in Jharkhand State Working Committee as State Minister in 2013. After becoming state membership in-charge in 2015, he got the responsibility of the post of state vice president in 2016. After becoming the State General Secretary in 2020, Pradeep Verma’s stature kept increasing.
He is working as the state general secretary and headquarters in-charge in the new team of Jharkhand BJP formed under the leadership of Babulal Marandi.