Congress candidate Chaturvedi wins RS seat from Uttaranchal

Dehradun, Mar 28 (UNI) Congress candidate Satyavrat Chaturvedi today defeated his only competitor BSP candidate R K Verman, by 28 votes to win the Rajya Sabha seat from Uttaranchal.

Mr Chaturvedi and Mr R K Verman polled 39 and 11 votes respectively. In the election, while Uttarakhand Kranti Dal supported BSP, BJP refrained from casting their vote.

According to election officer Mahesh Chandra, out of 70 legislators, 50 members casted their votes. Ninteen BJP members and an independent member did not vote.

Mr Chaturvedi said he would make optimum use of the opportunity to serve Uttaranchal as his victory has given a political dimension to his relation with the state. ''I was already related to the state culturally and spiritually,'' he said.

Meanwhile, UKD leader Kashi Singh Airy said BJP, by not taking part in election has revealed its political short sightedness. ''It has only helped in strengthening Congress'' he added.

Congress candidate looked the favourite in the election with 40 MLAs including three independents on his side where as BJP had only 19 members, BSP with seven and UKD with four.

All the three oppositions BJP, BSP and UKD had contemplated in putting common candidate in the fray, but at the last moment BSP withrew and settled on fielding their own candidate, which was said to have annoyed BJP.

UNI XC SC RS2032