The BJP came out on top with eight seats in the Rajya Sabha elections held on Friday amid allegations of cross voting and rule violations. The MVA alliance suffered a setback in Maharashtra, while the Congress suffered a setback in Haryana. Here are the highlights from the results:
Rajya Sabha elections: 16 seats were to be captured in four states. (PTI photo)
The results of the fiercely contested Rajya Sabha elections were declared in the early hours of Saturday following fierce allegations of cross voting, rule violations and delay of hours. To capture 16 seats in four states – Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and Karnataka – the BJP won eight, cementing its position in the upper house of parliament.
Arch-rival Congress finished second with five seats, while the remaining berths were snatched away by Maharashtra ally Shiv Sena and NCP and an independent BJP-backed candidate from Haryana.
In a major setback to the ruling Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress alliance in Maharashtra, the BJP snatched three of the six Rajya Sabha seats from the state.
In Rajasthan, the ruling Congress won three out of the four contested seats, while the BJP won one. The Election Commission on Friday night declared Congress candidates Randeep Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari and BJP’s Ghanshyam Tiwari as elected. Media businessman Subhash Chandra, who contested the election as an independent with the support of the BJP, had to face defeat as he did not get the required votes.
BJP’s Krishan Lal Panwar and saffron party-backed independent candidate Kartikeya Sharma were declared elected to two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana. According to the Election Commission, in another turnaround for the Congress, senior leader Ajay Maken lost due to not getting enough votes.
In Karnataka, the BJP won all three Rajya Sabha seats as it enjoyed a clean sweep. Of the four seats, the main opposition party, the Congress, won, while the JD(S) won. Was left empty handed. Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman, actor-politician Jaggesh, outgoing BJP MLC Lahar Singh Siroya and former Congress union minister Jairam Ramesh were declared the winners.