Shinde, Patel and Rajiv Shukla among six elected to RS

Mumbai, Mar 20 (UNI) Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and journalist-turned-politician Rajiv Shukla (both Cong), Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel (NCP) and former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi (Shiv Sena) were among the six candidates who were today declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra on the last day of withdrawal of nominations.

The other two included Mr Vasant Chavan (NCP) and Prof Bal Apte of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP).

Since today was the last day of withdrawal of candidature and there being none, all the six have been declared elected unopposed, Maharashtra Legislature's Joint Secretary and Assistant Returning Officer Umesh Khadkikar said.

These six would be filling up the vacancies on April two against the retiring members--Yusuf Khan alias Dilip Kumar (Cong), Mr R S Gavai (RPI- supported by Cong), Mr Praful Patel and Mr Vasant Chavan (both NCP), Prof Bal Apte (BJP) and Mr Ram Jethmalani (Ind).

While Mr Praful Patel and Mr Chavan (NCP) and Prof Apte (BJP) were renominated by the respective parties, the Congress brought in Mr Shinde in place of Dilip Kumar after the former quit the governorship of Andhra Pradesh.

Mr Rajiv Shukla, whose term from Uttar Pradesh is expiring on April two, was nominated by the Congress in place of Mr Gavai, whom the party had supported last time under a pact with the Republican party in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections.

The Shiv Sena, which had supported leading criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani last time, is now sending Mr Manohar Joshi to the House of Elders. Mr Joshi had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Mr Eknath Gaikwad of the Congress in the last parliamentary elections.

These six members would have a full six-year term in Rajya Sabha.

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