Former women’s commission chief Rekha Sharma elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Haryana
The BJP leader was declared winner after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended at 3 pm Friday as the Opposition did not field a candidate.
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Rekha Sharma, former chairperson of the National Commission for Women and Bharatiya Janata Party leader, was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Haryana on Friday, reported PTI.
Sharma filed her nomination for the Upper House of Parliament on Tuesday, a day after the party announced her candidacy.
The seat fell vacant after the BJP’s Krishan Lal Panwar won from the Israna Assembly constituency in the recently held Assembly elections. The bye-election for the seat was scheduled for December 20.
On Friday, Sharma was declared the winner unopposed after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended at 3 pm. The Opposition did not field a candidate.
Sharma took over as the chairperson of the National Commission for Women in August 2018, after serving as a member for three years. She resigned from the post in August 2024.
Her nine-year-long tenure was marred by criticism, including backlash for her silence over incidents of violence against women in BJP-ruled states, as well as the protests by Haryana's women wrestlers against BJP leader and former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Singh.
Sharma’s meeting with then Maharashtra Governor BS Koshiyari in October 2020 about a purported “rise in love jihad cases” had also sparked controversy.
“Love jihad” is a conspiracy theory espoused by Hindutva groups, alleging that Hindu women are...
