From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: There is rat race among Congress party leaders in Assam to secure nomination to contest in one of the two Rajya Sabha seats, election to which will be held on May 30 next.
The two Rajya Sabha seats are falling vacant on expiry of the current term of Dr Singh and Kumar Dipak Das of regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) The party has already decided to field Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh once again from Assam in the RS poll and this decision leaves only one seat for other aspirants within the party.
Given the overwhelming strength of the ruling Congress party in 126-member Assam Assembly, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is all set to become Rajya Sabha member from Assam for the fifth consecutive term.
Dr Singh who has been representing Assam in Rajya Sabha since 1991 without a break is coming to the State on May 15 next to file his nomination papers.
Dr Singh was recently invited by Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on behalf of the State PCC to stand for the party in Rajya Sabha election from the State.
Dr Singh was first elected to Rajya Sabha from Assam in 1991. He was then re-elected in 1995, 2001 and 2007. He has a rented house in the city with the address : House No. 3989, Nandan Nagar, Ward No. 51, Sarumataria, Dispur, Guwahati-781006. The house is owned by Hemaprova
Saikia, a senior Congress leader, former minister and widow of former Assam chief minister and Congress leader Late Hiteswar Saikia.
A spokesman of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) informed that total 38 Congress leaders had submitted application seeking nomination to Rajya Sabha election. The APCC has shortlisted about a dozen names and forwarded it to the party High Command to have the final say. The party spokesman said all of the shortlisted names may or may not be from among the 38 applicants.
Everything about the second Congress candidate for the RS poll will be clear May 18, two days before last date of submission of nomination on May 20 next, the party spokesman said.
The Congress has 79 MLAs on its own in 126-member Assam Assembly. It also enjoy support of five other Independent MLAs and 10 MLAs from its ally Bodoland People’s Front (BPF). The party’s comfortable position in Assam House will ensure win of both its candidates in the forthcoming RS polls.
The Election Commission on May 1 announced that the election for the two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam will be held on May 30.
According to the schedule, notification for the election will be issued on May 13 and the last date of filing nominations is May 20. Nomination papers will be scrutinised on May 21. The last date of withdrawal of candidature is May 23.
Polling, if necessary, will be held on May 30 and counting of votes will also be done on the same day.
