BJP sweeps all 4 Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan, Congress-backed nominee loses

JAIPUR: Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and BJP Vice President O P Mathur and two other party nominees were today elected to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan in the elections in which Congress-backed independent candidate Kamal Morarka was defeated.

While Naidu and Mathur each got 42 votes, ruling BJP's other two candiates Harsh Vardhan, a member of erstwhile Dungarpur royal family, and Ramkumar Verma, a retired RBI official, secured 40 each.

Congress-supported Independent candidate and industrialist Kamal Morarka got 34 votes--24 of Congress, four of National People's Party, two of BSP and four Independents. One vote was declared invalid.

A candidate needed 40 votes to win in Rajasthan.

Of the total 200 members of the Legislative Assembly, 199 voted in the polling held from 9 am to 4 pm.

BSP MLA B L Kushwah, who is in judicial custody in a murder case since October 2014, was not allowed by the Rajasthan High Court to cast his vote.

BJP has 160 MLAs followed by 24 of Congress, 4 of National People's Party, three of BSP, two of National Unionist Zamindara Party and seven Independents.

BJP was expecting the support of two legislators of National Unionist Zamindara Party and four independent MLAs and secure a combined tally of 166 votes for its four candidates but figure stood at 164.