LJP faces debacle in Rajya Sabha election

Patna, Mar 29 (UNI) Amid cross voting, RJD candidates Prof Jabir Hussain and Rajneeti Prasad, JD(U) nominees Mahendra Sahni (former MLC), Ali Anwar president of the All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaj and Mahendra Singh and Ravi Shankar Prasad of the BJP were elected in the biennial polls for six seats to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar today.

LJP had to bite the dust, State Assembly Secretary (Incharge) Brajkishore Singh Prabhat said here.

The biennial election to the six seats of Rajya Sabha had been necesssiated following expiry of term of MPs-- Phalguni Ram (Congress), Vijay Singh Yadav(RJD), Kumkum Rai (RJD), Vidya Sagar Nishad (RJD), Mahendra Singh alias King Mahendra (RJD) and Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP).

Mr Prabhat said Rajneeti Prasad and Mahendra Prasad got 37 votes each, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ali Anwar and Mahendra Sahni mustered 36 votes each while Prof Hussain just managed to get through by securing 35 votes. He said LJP candidate Ranjan Yadav has got only 23 votes in the election.

Meanwhile, official sources said one member each of NCP and BSP cross voted in the polling.

Among the six victorious candidates,Prof Hussain, Mahendra Sahni, Ali Anwar and Rajneeti Prasad are new entrants in the Rajya Sabha while Ravishankar Prasad and Mahendra Singh were re-elected to the Upper House.

For the six seats of Rajya Sabha, JD(U) had contested three seats, RJD two, followed by BJP and LJP which had contested one seat each.

In the 243 member assembly, JD(U) has 88 members, BJP-55, RJD-54, LJP-10, Congress-9, CPI(ML)-5, BSP-4, CPI-3, SP-2, CPI(M)-1, NCP-1, Independents-10 and one seat remained vacant.

UNI