Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], February 20 (ANI): Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw received his Rajya Sabha winning certificate in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.

After receiving the certificate, Vaishnaw offered prayers at Ram Mandir in Bhubaneswar.

Also Read | Agra Factory Blast: Two Killed, One Injured in Explosion at Factory in Uttar Pradesh.

He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving him another chance to serve as a Rajya Sabha member.

"I prayed to god to give me strength to continue the service for the public," the Union Minister said.

Also Read | Delhi Traffic Update for February 21: Commuters Advised to Avoid Several Roads in Central Delhi on Wednesday.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) assured their support to Vaishnaw when he filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on Thursday.

The BJD in its statement said that when Ashwini Vaishnaw was elected from Odisha, he took the oath as the Union Railway Minister in the central government, and it's a significant development that an Odisha representative became the Railway Minister. He made considerable efforts for Odisha's development, particularly in expanding the railway network. In the current budget, there's an allocation of 10,000 crores for our East Coast Zone, indicating a positive step for Odisha's prosperity and development.

Notably, the term for Rajya Sabha MPs is six years, and elections are held every two years for 33 per cent of the seats. Currently, the Rajya Sabha has a strength of 245 members.

The Election Commission has scheduled the Rajya Sabha elections for 15 states for February 27. Voting will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on this date.

The results of the elections will be announced on the same day, February 27. The Election Commission has announced the biennial Rajya Sabha polls for 56 seats, as the tenure of incumbents ends in April. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)