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March 18, 2002
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Jana Krishamurthy, Keshubhai Patel, Deora elected to RS

BJP president Jana Krishnamurthy, former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel and Mumbai Congress chief Murli Deora were among the candidates declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha on Monday, the last day of withdrawal of nominations.

While most of the candidates for the biennial polls spread over 17 states were elected without a contest, balloting appears certain in Karnataka, Rajasthan and West Bengal.

Voting has become imminent for the biennial elections to fill four seats from Karnataka as there are five candidates in the fray - former Union minister B Janardhana Poojary, M V Rajashekharan, Prem Cariappa (all Congress), former Union minister D K Taradevi (BJP) and industrialist Vijay Mallya (independent).

An absorbing battle is on the cards in Bihar where six candidates are in fray for five seats.

The fight will be mainly between actor and BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, seeking his second term, and expelled Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Ranjan Prasad Yadav, contesting as an independent backed by the JD (U) and the Lokjanshakti Party.

BJP with 35 MLAs in the 243-member house needs six additional votes for a straight victory for Shatrughan Sinha.

The ruling RJD with 115 MLAs and assured support of the 12-member Congress party and some independents is all set to win three seats. Party president Laloo Prasad Yadav is one of the RJD candidates.

Independent nominee and former Union minister Dilip Ray is threatening the prospects of Congress aspirant Maurice Kujur in Orissa where five candidates are vying for four seats.

With 25 MLAs, the Congress requires the backing of five more members to ensure Kujur's victory.

Ray's candidature has been supported by some legislators of the Congress, the BJP and the JMM.

Karnendu Bhattacharjee, Dwijen Sarma (both Congress) and opposition's U G Brahma were declared elected unopposed for three Rajya Sabha seats from Assam.

U G Brahma, All Bodo Students Union adviser and its former president, was the common candidate of a four-party opposition alliance comprising the AGP, BJP, ASDC (U) and the Bodoland Demand Legislature Party.

In Madhya Pradesh, Suresh Pachauri and Obaidullah Khan (both Congress) and Maya Singh (BJP) were declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha.

In Maharashtra, besides Union Shipping Minister Vedprakash Goyal (BJP) and Mumbai Congress chief Murli Deora, Videocon's R N Dhoot (Shiv Sena) was among the seven declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha.

Banking sector expert Eknath Thakur (Shiv Sena), Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan, NCP's Datta Meghe and industrialist Mukesh Patel were others declared elected on the last day of withdrawal of nominations for the Upper House, returning officer Anant Kalse told reporters in Mumbai.

AICC treasurer Motilal Vora and his party colleague Ramdhar Kashyap were declared elected unopposed from Chhattisgarh.

In Tamil Nadu, TMC president G K Vasan, advocates N Jothi (AIADMK) and R Shanmugasundram (DMK) were among the six candidates declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha.

Other winning candidates are S P M Syed Khan, C Perumal and Thanga Tamilselvan (all AIADMK).

In Haryana, Sumitra Mahajan and Harinder Malik were elected unopposed.

In Gujarat, BJP president Jana Krishnamurthy, former chief minister Keshubhai Patel and Jayantibhai Barot (both BJP) and Alka Kshatriya (Congress) were declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat.

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