Gandhi family aide and senior Congress leader Rajani Patil was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.
The BJP which has fielded Sanjay Updhayay, the party’s Mumbai general secretary and prominent North Indian leader, had decided to withdraw its candidature.
Monday was the last date for withdrawal of candidature.
For Patil, this is the second term in the Upper House in Parliament - earlier having been elected in 2013.
In 1996, she was elected to Lok Sabha from Beed.
Patil is the AICC in-charge of Jammu & Kashmir.
The seat had fallen vacant following the death of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s close aide Rajiv Satav, who passed away on 16 May because of Covid-19 related complications.
Last week, state Congress president Nana Patole and Congress legislature party leader and revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat met leader of opposition in Assembly Devendra Fadnavis and urged him for an unopposed election.
In terms of strength of the Maha Vikas Aghadi in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, the scales were in favour of Patil.
Fadnavis consulted senior leaders including his counterpart in Council Pravin Darekar, state BJP president Chandrakant Patil and the final call of withdrawal of candidature of Upadhyay was taken.
"I have withdrawn my candidature at the directive of the party," said Upadhyay.
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Published 27 September 2021, 11:44 IST