Ruling parties bag RS seats in Meghalaya, Mizoram; Manipur awaits results

Imphal/Shillong/Aizawl, June 19 (IANS): The candidates of the ruling MNF in Mizoram and Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) won the one Rajya Sabha seats in each state, while the process in Manipur was withheld by the Election Commission, election officials said on Friday.


Voting was held for three Rajya Sabha seats in Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram on Friday, with a frantic political drama in Imphal, where the equations are altering fast given the changing political equations since Wednesday.


The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party candidate King Leishemba Sanajaoba and Congress nominee T. Mangibabu are fighting for the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Manipur.


In Meghalaya, Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) sponsored National People’s Party candidate W. R. Kharlukhi, who secured 39 votes, won the election beating Kennedy Khyriem, who bagged 19 votes while one member remained abstained from voting and one vote was rejected.


In Mizoram, in a triangular contest, ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) candidate K. Vanlalvena won the Rajya Sabha seat by securing 27 votes, defeating Zoram Peoples Movement (7 votes) candidate B. Lalchhanzova and Congress nominee Lallianchhunga (5 votes).


In the 40-member Mizoram assembly, the lone BJP MLA Buddha Dhan Chakma abstained from voting.
Meanwhile, ruling BJP nominee Nabam Rebia had on June 12 won the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Arunachal Pradesh unopposed.


Rebia, who represented the northeastern state in the Rajya Sabha for two consecutive terms from 1996 to 2002 and 2002 to 2008 as a Congress candidate, was declared winner after the withdrawal of nominations ended on June 12.