Union minister George Kurian to be BJP's RS candidate for seat vacated by Scindia

Bhopal: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday announced Union Minister of State George Kurian as its candidate for a Rajya Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh that became vacant following Jyotiraditya Scindia's election to the Lok Sabha.

Scindia, Union Minister of Communications, vacated his Rajya Sabha seat after being elected from Guna constituency in the general elections earlier this year.

Elections to 12 vacant Rajya Sabha seats in nine states will be held on September 3.

Of 11 Rajya Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh, three are with the Congress and seven are with the ruling BJP.

Kurian, a leader from Kerala and currently the MoS for Minority Affairs, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, can win comfortably (if the opposition fielded a candidate and forced voting) given the BJP's strength in the Madhya Pradesh assembly.

In the 230-member House, the BJP has 163 MLAs, Congress 64 and Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) one. Two seats are vacant at present.