Vayalar Ravi re-elected to Rajya Sabha

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On expected lines, two UDF candidates, including former Union minister Vayalar Ravi and an Opposition LDF nominee were elected to the Rajya Sabha from Kerala in the polls held today.

The other UDF candidate P V Abdul Wahab is from Indian Union Muslim League, while K K Ragesh is from CPI(M).

This is the second term for Wahab and first for former students union leader Ragesh in the Upper House while Ravi has got elected for the fourth time.

The polls were necessitated as the terms of Ravi, CPI(M)'s P Rajeev and CPI's M P Achuthan expires on April 24.

The victory of these candidates was considered a foregone conclusion taking into account the strength of the coalitions.

In the 140-member assembly, UDF has a strength of 73, while the opposition has 65 members. A lone member of Kerala Congress (B) K B Ganesh Kumar had recently snapped ties with the UDF. One seat is vacant following the death of former Speaker G Karthikeyan.

The poll outcome has established that troubles in the Kerala Congress (Mani), a key partner of UDF, with nine MLAs, including KC-M dissident leader P C George, had not resulted in any cross-voting.

George was removed from the post of government Chief Whip and from all party posts, following sharp differences with party supremo and Finance Minster K M Mani.

LDF had also put up All India Youth Federation state secretary K Rajan of CPI as second candidate for the polls, but was unsuccessful.