Almost three months after he lost the Chief Minister’s post to his colleague Prem Kumar Dhumal, former Union minister Shanta Kumar was all smiles on Wednesday. On the last day of withdrawal of nominations for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh, Shanta Kumar was declared elected unopposed.

The Congress, which has 23 MLAs in the 68-seat Vidhan Sabha, had chosen not to field any candidate against Shanta Kumar.

Among the first few to congratulate him over his election was Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who was away in Kullu as part of his four-day-long tour of Mandi, Kullu and Kangra districts.

Shanta, 74, who is also BJP’s national vice-president, was given the certificate declaring him elected to the Upper House by Vidhan Sabha secretary Govardhan Singh on Wednesday afternoon.

He reached Shimla and went straight to the Vidhan Sabha along with BJP incharge for Himachal Satyapal Jain, among others.