Deve Gowda, Mallikarjun Kharge among four candidates elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Karnataka

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and two BJP candidates, who were in the fray, were on Friday declared "unanimously" elected for four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka.

Karnataka Legislative Assembly Secretary M K Vishalakshi, who is the returning officer for the Rajya Sabha polls, declared the "unanimous election" of Gowda and Kharge from the JD(S) and the Congress respectively, and BJP's Iranna Kadadi and Ashok Gasti, with no extra candidate in the fray.

"With none of the four validly nominated candidates in the fray withdrawing their candidature, they were declared unanimously elected," officials said.