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PM files papers for Rajya Sabha |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh filed his nomination papers for his re-election to the Rajya Sabha on May 9 in Guwahati. An official source said that Dr. Singh submitted his papers to the Returning Officer, G.P. Das, at the latter’s office in the state capital. The Prime Minister was accompanied by the AICC poll observers of the RS poll, Shivraj Patil and Motilal Vohra.
Singh’s current term in the Upper House ends on June 14. Apart from the term of Dr. Singh, the term of the BJP’s Indramoni Bora is expiring.
Earlier, the Assam Congress Legislature Party on Tuesday, May 8, unanimously decided to renominate Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the ruling party’s candidate for the Rajya Sabha.
Emerging from the meeting, Chief Minister and CLP leader Tarun Gogoi told mediapersons that all the three previous terms Dr. Singh was elected only as an MP. “But this is for the first time that we will be electing the Prime Minister from Assam.”
In a crucial meeting, attended by Congress legislators and MPs from the state, besides Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and senior leaders Motilal Vora and Digvijay Singh, the party decided it would put up only one candidate for the two Rajya Sabha seats that fall vacant in June. “Since the Prime Minister is contesting, we are not taking any chances. We will put up only one candidate,” said a Congress legislator.
While Singh’s victory is certain, the Opposition appeared to be in disarray over the second seat as no party has been able to take a decision on whether to field their own candidate or put up a common one.
A consensus among the Opposition parties is necessary as none of the parties is in a position to win the seat on its individual strength. A win requires the support of at least 43 members. The AGP has 24 seats while the BJP and the AUDF have 10 seats each. The Left parties have three seats.
The Congress has 53 seats and its coalition partner, Bodoland People’s Progressive Front (Hagrma) 12 members in the 126-strong House.
K. Padmarajan, a homeopath from Mettur Dam in Tamil Nadu, filed his papers as an Independent against Dr. Singh. Though he does not have the required number of signatures of a minimum of 10 MLAs to back his candidature, Padmarajan is not bothered that his nomination will be rejected. He has already made his entry into the Limca Book of Records as the most unsuccessful candidate.
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