Polling for four Rajya Sabha seats in Raj begins

Jaipur, Jun 11 (PTI) Elections to the four seats of Rajyasabha today began at the Rajasthan Assembly premises here. Leader of opposition Rameshwar Dusi cast the first votefollowed by former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, the assemblyspokesperson said. In the house of 200, the ruling BJP has 160 members andCongress 24. National Peoples Party has four, BSP has three,National Unionist Zamindara Party has two and seven areindependents. Union minister Venkaiah Naidu, BJP’s national VicePresident Om Prakash Mathur, former RBI official RamkumarSharma and member of erstwhile Dungarpur royal family HarshVardhan Singh are the BJP candidates whereas Kamal Morarkafiled nomination papers as independent candidate. BJP has claimed the support of two legislators of NationalUnionist Zamindara Party and three independent MLAs whoattended its training programme yesterday at a hotel. Congress’s state unit announced its support to formerunion minister Morarka on the directions of AICC and issued awhip to the party MLAs to vote for him. It is expectingsupport of independent MLAs and other non-BJP parties. Due to presence of Morarka, polling has become necessary.The results will be declared today . Out of 200, 199 MLAs would cast their vote in the RS pollas Kushwaha has been in jail since October, 2014. PTI SDA ANPRTANP