BJP’s Dinesh Arya elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Uttarakhand

BJP leader Dinesh Arya. File. | Photo Credit: ANI BJP leader Dinesh Arya has been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Uttarakhand, with no candidate from the Congress or any other party contesting the seat.H.C. Pant, the returning officer and Officer-in-Charge of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, handed over the certificate of election to Mr. Arya after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended on Friday (October 9, 2026).The seat is currently held by BJP MP Naresh Bansal, whose six-year term ends on November 25.A Dalit leader from Haldwani, Mr. Arya has been associated with the BJP for several decades and is considered close to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.His election to the Upper House comes amid a political controversy over allegations of anti-Dalit bias against the BJP-led government in Uttarakhand. The row intensified after a right-wing group reportedly performed ‘purification ritual’ at the venue in Haldwani where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had addressed a rally in August.The Congress accused the BJP of being complicit in the incident, while the BJP rejected the charge and accused the Opposition party of politicising the matter.Speaking about Mr. Arya, BJP spokesperson Manvir Singh Chauhan said that he began his political career in 1985 with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) before joining the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the BJP’s youth wing. He served as the party’s Nainital district president from 2007 to 2010 and later became a national secretary of its Scheduled Caste Morcha.Mr. Arya currently holds the rank of Minister of State and serves as vice-chairman of the State-level Drinking Water Monitoring Council. Published - October 10, 2026 04:50 am IST