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Moopanar, five DMK members elected to RS from Tamil Nadu

Tamil Maanila Congress president G K Moopanar and five candidates of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam were today declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu.

Besides Moopanar, those declared elected were Viduthalai Virumbi, S Akkiniraj, S Sivasubramani, M Sankaralingam and M A Khader.

They will fill the vacancies caused by the retirement of six Rajya Sabha members belonging to the All India Anna DMK, a constituent in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government at the Centre.

Today was the last date for withdrawal of nominations for the election. The nomination papers of six independents were found invalid by the returning officer on June 8, paving the way for the election of Moopanar and the five DMK candidates, without any opposition.

While Moopanar is away in Delhi, the five DMK candidates received the certificates declaring them elected, from returning officer D Solomon Jayapaul at the legislative assembly office in the state secretariat in Madras.

In Madhya Pradesh, five candidates, including Bharatiya Janata Party deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha O Rajagopal, were elected unopposed in the biennial elections.

Others elected unopposed to the upper house are Balkavi Bairagi, Jhumukhlal Bhedia, Mabel Rebello (all Congress) and Dilip Singh Judeo (BJP).

The seats fell vacant following the resignation of AICC spokesman Ajit Jogi and Jaganath Singh following their election to the Lok Sabha and the expiry of the term of Rajagopal, Narayan Prasad Gupta and Dilip Singh Judeo (all BJP).

UNI

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