BHUBANESWAR 07-Feb-2014 116
Odisha Cricket Association president and IPL Governing Council Chairman Ranjib Biswal added yet another feather to his cap by becoming a Rajya Sabha member today.
Ranjib, also a former Lok Sabha member from Jagatsinghpur, won the Rajya Sabha poll, as a Congress candidate.
He defeated ruling BJD-backed independent candidate and renowned sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra by 29-20 votes.
Of the 147 MLAs in the Odisha Assembly, 146 voted. The vote of BJD MLA Kalandi Behera was rejected because of overwriting on the ballot paper. BJP`s Manoj Pradhan abstained from voting.
The result for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat, for which Ranjib and Raghunath were in fray, was announced after counting of second preference votes.
