MUMBAI : Congress on Sunday nominated veteran journalist Kumar Ketkar , a recipient of the Padmashri award for Rajys Sabha elections. Seventy two year old Ketkar is in journalism for more than four decades and has been associated with the Congress for a prolonged period.

State Congress leaders have welcomed nomination of Ketkar. ``Congress has given opportunity to a secular scribe,'' Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said.

BJP nominated for Chief Minister Narayan Rane , Union Minister Prakash Jawadekar, Kerala BJP President V Muralidharan, NCP has nominated Vandana Chavan and Shiv Sena has re-nominated Anil Desai.

According to reports, sitting Congress MPs Rajani Patil and Rajeev Shukla and former Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde were lobbying for Rajya Sabha nomination, but did not succeed.

The nomination of Muralidharan has surprised state BJP activist, since it was expected that either Ajay Sancheti will be re-nominated or BJP will nominate spokesperson Madhav Bhandari or State Women's Commission Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar . ``We are surprised over the nomination of Muralidharan,'' a BJP leader said.

