M P Veerendra Kumar elected to Rajya Sabha from Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: M P Veerendra Kumar, the state President of the Janata Dal (U) Sharad Yadav faction, was today elected to the Rajya Sabha from Kerala.

Kumar, who was supported by ruling CPI(M)-led LDF, polled 89 votes, while B Babu Prasad the opposition UDF candidate got 40 votes in the election held to one seat from the state, official sources said.

The election was held after the seat fell vacant when Kumar resigned from the Upper House of Parliament as a mark of protest against JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joining hands with BJP-led NDA.

In the 140-member assembly, the LDF has 90 MLAs while the UDF 41 legislators.

One vote of the LDF supported candidate was declared invalid.

The Kerala Congress (Mani), which has six MLAs and is keeping an equi-distance from both the fronts, abstained from voting.

BJP's lone MLA O Rajagopal and P C George (Ind) also did not cast their franchise.

One MLA of UDF ally IUML is on leave as he is unwell.

The counting of votes, began at 5.45 pm as the Opposition Congress led United Democratic Front (UDF) lodged a protest with the Election Commission that CPI, JDS and NCP MLAs, belonging to the LDF, had not appointed polling agents.