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Two each from BJP, Congress elected unannounced to RS from Gujarat
Gandhinagar, March 15 (IANS) Two candidates each of the ruling BJP and opposition Congress were elected unopposed to as many vacant seats in the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat after their extra nominees opted out of the fray on the last date for withdrawal of nominations on Thursday.
Union Ministers Purushottam Rupala and Masukh Mandavia from the Bharatiya Janata Party and former Union Minister Naran Rathwa and Ami Yagnik from the Congress will enter the Rajya Sabha after the issuance of a notification on their election, an official said.
Those who opted out on Thursday are BJP’s Kirsitsinh Rana, independent nominee backed by Congress legislators P.K. Valera, and dummy candidate Rajni Patel.
“We have issued the notification to declare all four as elected to the Rajya Sabha,” said A.B. Karova, Assembly’s Assistant Deputy Secretary and the Returning Officer for Rajya Sabha elections.
The formal announcement on March 23 Rajya Sabha election results will be done on March 25. “However, with no elections required in the state, the Returning Officer can issue a notification on the election results without waiting for the final date,” a senior Election Commission official said.
The BJP, following some issues related to documents required to be submitted by tribal leader Naran Rathwa, had fielded Kiritsinh Rana, along with dummy candidate Rajni Patel. The Congress too put up Valera as an independent. Another independent P. Moolani too filed his nomination, taking the total number of candidates in the fray to eight.
After scrutiny, Moolani’s candidature was rejected due to lack of requisite number of proposers.
The BJP even approached the Election Commission to demand that Rathwa’s candidature be cancelled.
With the BJP having 100 legislators in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly and the opposition Congress having 81 members, both could easily send two candidates each to the upper house of Parliament. The minimum first preference votes required by any candidate is 37.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.