Hardeep Puri elected to Rajya Sabha

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh in a bypoll for a seat that fell vacant after former Union Minister L. Murugan resigned.

While the bypoll was scheduled for Thursday (November 12, 2026), Mr. Puri’s election was declared on Nov. 5, two days after the nomination papers of two independent candidates, one backed by the Congress, were rejected. November 5 was the last date to withdraw nominations.

Madhya Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party president Hemant Khandelwal and Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda received Mr. Puri’s election certificate at the State Legislative Assembly.

The BJP announced Mr. Puri as its candidate for the bypoll on Oct. 28, weeks after Mr. Murugan, whose term was to end in 2030, resigned from the Upper House.