New Delhi, March 23 (IANS): BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam took oath as Rajya Sabha member from Haryana on Monday.

Gautam had filed nomination for bypoll to fill up a casual vacancy whose term is ending on August 1, 2022. The casual vacancy had arisen following the resignation of former Union minister Birender Singh.

In total, there are five Rajya Sabha seats in Haryana. Three seats fell vacant. Notably, the two Rajya Sabha vacancies are due to resignation of BJP's Ram Kumar Kashyap and the expiry of Congress leader Kumari Selja's term on April 9. A third vacancy which has necessitated a bypoll rose following the resignation of former Union Minister and BJP leader Birender Singh.

Dushyant along with another BJP leader Ram Chandra Jangra and Congress candidate Deepender Hooda were elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Haryana on March 18. The trio was declared elected without a ballot being cast.

Their unanimous election to the Upper House was a foregone conclusion in view of the prevailing strength of MLAs of the ruling BJP (40) and opposition Congress (31) in the assembly.

Deepender Hooda, son of former chief minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda will be the lone opposition MP from the state and a fourth-term parliamentarian having won three Lok Sabha elections from Rohtak seat previously.

Jangra and Hooda had filed nominations for the biennial election to two Rajya Sabha seats getting vacant on April 9. Both have been elected for a full term of six years.