BJP nominee and chief of state Women Commission Vijaya Rahatkar withdrew his nomination from Rajya Sabha polls in Maharashtra on Thursday
After the withdrawal of BJP nominee and chief of state Women Commission Vijaya Rahatkar from the biennial Rajya Sabha polls in Maharashtra on Thursday, the remaining six candidates have been elected unopposed.
The nominees who have been elected included Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, former Kerala BJP president V Muraleedharan, former chief minister Narayan Rane from BJP, Anil Desai from Shiv Sena, veteran journalist Kumar Ketkar from Congress, and Vandana Chavan from Nationalist Congress party (NCP).
While talking to media, Kumar Ketkar said, "I was earlier offered a Rajya Sabha seat by Shiv Sena in 1998, but I declined the offer because of ideology. However, I followed the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru."
He said that journalists should be open-minded and unbiased. "There is always politics and bias in newsrooms over placement of stories. Journalists do have a political stand and they do follow their own ideology. When I was an editor, I never tried to suppress any sort of voice," he said.
"I am grateful to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Maharashtra President Ashok Chavan who are instrumental for nominating for Rajya Sabha," the veteran journalist said.
Former CM and newly-elected BJP Rajya Sabha MP Narayan Rane said that he will work for Maharashrta and Konkan. "We have to make adjustment and this Rajya Sabha is the part of adjustment. I have now joined the BJP, I hope Sena will leave the government," he said.
ONLY WITHDRAWAL
BJP nominee and chief of state Women Commission Vijaya Rahatkar withdrew his nomination from Rajya Sabha polls in Maharashtra on Thursday.
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 "Prakash Javadekar, V Muraleedharan and Kumar Ketkar")
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