Party candidates set for unanimous election

Bangalore, Jun 17 (UNI) Candidates nominated by political parties to both Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council, are set to get elected unanimously as no other candidates were left in the fray after scrutiny of nomination papers were taken up today.

Four seats for Rajya Sabha (RS) and seven for the Legislative Council would be filled up in the June 26 election which was now most likely to be unanimous.

The Returning Officers rejected the nominations of independents during the scrutiny as they did not carry mandatory names of ten proposers from the Assembly.

The papers of two each from Congress and BJP were found in order for elections to Rajya Sabha from Karantaka Legislative Assembly.

Mr S B Patil, Returning Officer for RS elections and Secretary of Legislative Assembly, said nomination papers of Padmaraj and T D R Harishchandra were found invalid.

He said the names of other candidates, including former Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna (Cong), Anil Lad (Cong), M Rama Jois (BJP) and Prabhakar Kore (BJP) were found in order and paved the way for the unanimous election. The announcement to this effect would be made on the election day on June 19.

Mr V Shreesh, Returning Officer, Legislative Council, said eight candidates - four from BJP, one from Congress and two from JD(S)- had filed nominations for the Council and were found valid. Another one was submitted by independent Sudhakar, he said.

Mr Shreesh said during scrutiny an objection was raised about the candidature of M C Nanaiah of JD(S) by the BJP candidate Sidharaju's election agent. He objected to an affidavit submitted by the JD(S) candidate. However it was overruled.

With this only seven candidates were left in the fray leading to an unanimous election.

Congress and JD(S) have come to an election understanding for both the RS and Council elections. Congress had secured the support of JD(S) and nominated two of its candidates, Mr S M Krishna and Anil Lad. In return it agreed to support two candidates of JD(S) for the Council.

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