The ruling Congress party on Friday said its three candidates have won Rajya Sabha elections in Rajasthan, whereas the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate declared himself the winner of the fourht seat.
Congress candidates Randeep Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik, and Pramod Tiwari have won, said Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
The BJP candidate and former minister Ghanshyam Tiwari said he has won the fourth seat, polling 43 votes.
CM Gehlot also thanked BJP MLA Shobharani Kushwah for cross-voting in favour of Congress candidate Pramod Tiwari. The BJP has suspended Kushwah from the party's primary membership.
He said, "When everybody knows that 126 MLAs are with us, why did they field an independent candidate? They wanted to attempt horse-trading but that did not happen. I believe all the three leaders will raise issues of Rajasthan, particularly the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) which will solve water problem in 13 districts."
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Gehlot added that the victory of Congress candidates has given a strong message in the country and that the party would retain power in the assembly elections next year.
Newly elected Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala said it was a victory of truth. He added, "The Congress got a total of 127 votes. One vote was rejected because of a minor thing."
Pramod Tiwari said the magic of Gehlot worked for the Congress.
Earlier, in a tweet, Gehlot congratulated all three Congress candidates for winning the Rajya Sabha elections.
He said, "Congress' victory on three Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan is a victory of democracy. I congratulate all the three newly elected MPs Shri Pramod Tiwari, Shri Mukul Wasnik and Shri Randeep Surjewala. I am sure that all the three MPs will be able to strongly advocate the rights of Rajasthan in Delhi."
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Before them, BJP candidate Ghanshyam Tiwari and other leaders of the party announced his victory on one seat.
Tiwari saud, "I am thankful to the state and the central leadership for making me the candidate. I got 43 votes."
The statements came before the official announcement of the results.
All 200 Rajasthan MLAs had cast their votes for the Rajya Sabha elections by Friday afternoon.
In the House, the Congress has 108 MLAs, BJP 71, Independents 13, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) three, and the CPI(M) and the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) two each.
In Karnataka, the BJP won three seats and the Congress one. The successful BJP candidates in Karnataka are Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, actor-politician Jaggesh, ex-MLC Lehar Singh Siroya. The Congress party's former Union minister Jairam Ramesh was the fourth successful candidate.
(With PTI inputs)
