Bharatiya Janata Party candidates MJ Akbar and Anil Dave and Congress' Vivek Tankha were elected to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, while an independent candidate backed by the BJP was defeated.
BJP's bid to spoil the Congress candidate's chances by fielding BJP leader Vinod Gotia as an independent candidate did not bear fruit. Gotia got 50 votes, 48 surplus votes of BJP and two independents against the required 58.
Senior journalist MJ Akbar and state BJP leader and strategist Dave polled 58 votes each, while Tankha secured 62 votes, 57 from Congress, four from BSP and one independent, returning officer Bhagwandas Israni said.
While BJP-supported Gotiya could manage only 50 votes and lost the election. The results were declared after the counting, that took about an hour.
BSP supremo Mayawati had issued a whip to its four MlAs to vote for Tankha.
The strength of Madhya Pradesh Assembly is 230. A total of 228 MlAs 164 of BJP, 57 of Congress, 4 of BSP and 3 independents cast votes.
BJP MlA Rajendra Dadu died in a road accident on June 9, while the Supreme Court restrained another of its MlAs, Rajendra Meshram from voting following a petition.
The contest for the House of Elders became inevitable as BJP leader Vinod Gotiya submitted his nomination papers as an Independent candidate, thereby throwing gauntlets at the Congress candidate. BJP also threw its weight behind Gotia.
To counter the move, senior Congress leaders Kamal Nath, Mohan Prakash, Sushil Kumar Shinde, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh and former Union Minister Suresh Pachouri were camping here to keep the party's flock together.
"This is a victory for the party, it is not an individual victory," MJ Akbar told media persons here after the victory.
Polling was scheduled to be held from 0900-1600 hrs. However, the process was completed by 1230 hrs. A total of 227 legislators including 164 of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 56 of the Congress, four of the Bahujan Samaj Party and three independents exercised their franchise at the Committee Room No-2 in the Vidhan Sabha premises.
The first vote was cast by Congress legislator Ramniwas Rawat while BJP legislator and the state's Food and Civil Supplies Minister Vijay Shah was the last to exercise his franchise. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan cast his vote early during polling process.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has congratulated MJ Akbar and Anil Madhav Dave on being elected for members of Rajya Sabha. He said that entry of intellectuals like Akbar in the Rajya Sabha will be beneficial for the country and state.