Hema Malini elected to Rajya Sabha

Veteran Bollywood actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee Hema Malini was Thursday elected to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka.

She defeated noted Kannada writer K. Marulasiddappa who contested as an independent with the support of the opposition Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S). The actor won by 106 votes to 94.

The ruling BJP has 106 members, including speaker, in the assembly while Congress-JD-S together have 97.

The poll was held to fill the vacancy created following the death of M. Rajashekara Murthy of the JD-S last December.

Hema Malini would be a member till April, 2012, when Murthy's term would have expired. She was a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha

Hema Malini files nomination as BJP candidate from Karnataka

Bollywood actor Hema Malini filed her nomination papers here on Monday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)''s candidate for the Rajya Sabha election from Karnataka.

The by-election, scheduled for March 3, became necessary following the demise of former Union Minister M Rajasekhara Murthy, who belonged to the Janata Dal-Secular.

Hema''s choice came as a surprise and shock to the party members, who were expecting a person from the state to be given the ticket considering it will be an unopposed election.

The veteran actress was accompanied by State Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and the BJP State Unit President K.S. Eshwarappa when she filerd her nomination at the Vidhana Soudha

"I want to thank the BJP party for nominating me; I have had a long association with this state from many years as an artiste. As an MP, I will have to understand what Karnataka needs, I will take special interest in the state, especially in cultural matters," she said
after filing her nomination.