Senior Congress leader and Union Heavy Industry Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and two Nationalist Congress Party candidates Govindrao Adik and Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil won the Rajya Sabha by-polls unopposed on Monday.
While Mohite-Patil’s victory was assured as the Opposition did not field
any candidate against him, Shiv Sena nominee Rahul Narvekar withdrew his name on Monday and facilitated Deshmukh and Adik’s smooth ride. Narvekar said: “I have pulled out of the race on moral grounds to protest the Election Commission’s decision to conduct separate elections to fill three vacancies.”
Deshmukh contested the vacancy created by Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s resignation from the Upper House. Mohite-Patil and Adik replaced Supriya Sule and Praful Patel. The results will be officially declared after August 10.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a Shiv Sena leader’s petition challenging the Election Commission’s decision to separately hold by-elections to the three Rajya Sabha seats.