NEW DELHI: The BJP finally got an elected member from West Bengal in the Rajya Sabha. Ananta Maharaj is the first person from Bengal to get elected as a Rajya Sabha member. So far, BJP had only nominated members from the state.

Apart from Ananta, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar from Gujarat and Trinamool Congress leader Derrick O'Brien from West Bengal were elected to the Rajya Sabha unopposed. Although elections have been announced on July 24, no one is contesting against them.

The way was paved for BJP to get one person from West Bengal to the Rajya Sabha after it won 77 (currently 70) seats in the last assembly elections. Earlier, Roopa Ganguly, Swapan Dasgupta, and others were nominated from Bengal.

Trinamool won six out of seven seats in West Bengal. BJP won three vacant seats in Gujarat and one in Goa. Along with Jaishankar, Babubhai Desai and Kesari Dev Sinh Jhala were elected from Gujarat. Sadanand Shet Tanavade won from Goa.With this election, the Congress lost one seat and the party's strength in the Rajya Sabha was reduced to 30.