UDF wins 2 Rajya Sabha seats, LDF 1 in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, June 25 (IANS) The outcome of the Rajya Sabha elections in Kerala Monday went on expected lines with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) winning two seats and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) seeing one of its two candidates getting elected.

Congress veteran and sitting Rajya Sabha member P.J. Kurian and former legislator and Kerala Congress-Mani leader Joy Abraham were declared elected, as well as senior Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader C.P. Narayanan.

Communist Party of India leader C.N. Chandran lost the election.

The result was announced by state chief electoral officer Nalini Netto Monday.

A candidate needed 36 first preference votes to win and, therefore, victory for the two UDF candidates was a foregone conclusion because they had 73 legislators in the 140-member house, while the LDF had only 67 legislators and could ensure victory of one of its candidates.

Kurian secured 37 first preference votes, while Abraham and Narayanan secured 36 first preference votes each, but Chandran got only 31.

The rival fronts had appointed election agents and according to the new rules, each voter had to show his ballot paper, if asked, to the agents before putting it in the box.