Union minister MS Gill among five elected to Rajya Sabha from Punjab

Union sports minister MS Gill made it to the Rajya Sabha for the second consecutive term today as he was among five nominees, two each from Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal and one from BJP, who were elected unopposed to the Upper House from Punjab.
    
Besides Gill, former prime minister IK Gujral's son Naresh Gujral (SAD) and Ashwani Kumar of the Congress also made it to the Rajya Sabha for the second time in a row.
    
Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa (SAD), who had lost the Lok Sabha polls last year from Sangrur and BJP's Avinash Rai Khanna were the other two to enter the Rajya Sabha from the state.
    
Nominees of the three parties were declared elected unopposed by the returning officer and Punjab Vidhan Sabha secretary Ved Prakash after the deadline for withdrawal of papers ended.
    
Biennial elections to the five seats of the state were announced after the terms of Kumar, Gujral, Dharam Pal (Cong), Gill and Virender Singh Bajwa (SAD) were over.
    
As per the present strength of members of political parties in the state Assembly, the ruling SAD and its ally BJP have to get three seats and the opposition Congress two.