Sharad elected unopposed to RS, Pawan Varma to fight it out

JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav was today elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha but two of his party colleagues, including former diplomat Pawan Varma, were left to fight it out in Bihar as the deadline for withdrawal of nominations for June 19 polls to the upper House in four states ended.
In Karnataka, Congress General Secretary B K Hariprasad and party spokesman Rajiv Gowda were declared elected unopposed as were BJP's Prabhakar Kore and JD(S)' Kupendra Reddy because only four candidates were left in the fray for an equal number of RS seats.
On expiry of nomination withdrawal deadline, Bihar assembly Secretary Hareram Mukhiya, who is the Returning Officer for the elections, declared Sharad Yadav elected unopposed to the seat vacated by LJP President Ramvilas Paswan after his victory in Lok Sabha poll.

There are now four candidates for the two other seats--ruling JD(U)'s official nominees Pawan Varma and Gulam Rasool Balyawi who take on real estate baron Anil Sharma, an independent, and expelled JD(U) leader Sabir Ali who are backed by rebel party legislators and opposition BJP.
BJP legislator Dilip Jaiswal, who had joined the race as an independent for the RS seat in Bihar vacated by Rajiv Pratap Rudy, withdrew his nomination today, setting the stage for a direct contest between Pawan Varma and Anil Sharma.
In Odisha, ruling Biju Janata Dal candidate and young Odia flim actor Anubhab Mohanty was elected unopposed to the upper House.

Mizoram will also witness a direct battle for the lone RS seat between Ronald Sapa Tlau of ruling Congress and L Ramkinlova of opposition Mizo National Front (MNF).
Congress has 34 members in the 40-member assembly while MNF five and its junior partner Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) one.