Kurian, Ismail, Rajan elected to RS

Thiruvananthapuram, June 19 (UNI) Congress leader P J Kurian, CPI(M) member P R Rajan and CPI's K E Ismail were today elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Kerala.

The three candidates, whose nominations were found in order during the scrutiny, were officially declared elected at the expiry of time allotted for the withdrawal of nominations this evening.

In the 140-member Kerala Assembly, the ruling Marxist-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) has 98 seats and the United Democratic Front 42.

Both the fronts fielded candidates on the basis of their strength with which the LDF could win two and the UDF one seat in the event of an election.

The LDF finalised the candidates without much trouble, but a crisis arose in the UDF over the decision of the Congress to contest the seat.

The Kerala Congress (Mani), a constituent of the UDF, had lodged its strong protest against the demad of the promised seat to them.

Similarly, the Indian Union Muslim League was also opposed to the manner in which the Congress took away the seat from it.

However, the Congress argued that it was necessary for the party to strengthen its numbers in the Rajya Sabha in the present political scenario.

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