Kanimozhi enters Rajya Sabha

Chennai, June 8 (UNI) Ms Kanimozhi, the poetess daughter of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Communist Party of India (CPI) National Secretary D Raja and four others were declared elected unopposed in the biennial election to the Rajya Sabha from the state.

State Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta, the Returning Officer, declared elected all the six candidates -- two each nominated by the ruling DMK and the Opposition AIADMK and one each by the Congress and CPI.

As there were only six candidates left in the fray for the six seats to be filled in the biennial election on the last date for withdrawal of the nominations today, Mr Gupta declared them elected unopposed and issued them certificates.

The nomination paper filed by Mr K Padmarajan, an Independent, was rejected during scrutiny on June 6, as it was not subscribed by ten proposers and the candidate had not remitted the security deposit of Rs 5,000.

Besides Ms Kanimozhi and Mr Raja, those declared elected included former MP 'Tiruchy' N Siva (DMK), former MP V Maitreyan and Mr Ilavarasan (both AIADMK) and B S Gnanadesikan (Congress), who was renominated.

Senior party leaders, including Ministers Arcot N Veerasamy, Thangam Thennarasu, former Ministers K A Sengottaiyan, M Thambidurai and D Jayakumar from the AIADMK, D Sudharsanam and Peter Alphonse from the Congress and Mr D Pandian from the CPI were present on the occasion.

The biennial election was necessitated as the term of office of Mr R Kamaraj, Ms S G Indira, Mr S S Chandran, Mr P G Narayanan (all AIADMK), Mr K P K Kumaran (DMK) and Mr Gnanadesikan (Congress) would end on July 24. Only the Congress had renominated its candidate.

UNI