Road clear for Wansuk’s return to Rajya Sabha

SHILLONG: In all probability, sitting Rajya Sabha member from Meghalaya, Wansuk Syiem, is likely to be re-elected to the Upper House of Parliament.
Syiem’s re-entry into the Rajya Sabha is almost certain since the Congress and its allies, with a strength of 43 members in the 60-member State Legislative Assembly is unlikely to face much resistance from the Opposition parties.
Syiem, meanwhile, informed that she would file her nominations paper on Monday, even as she expressed confidence of returning to the Rajya Sabha.
Syiem made history last year when she became the first woman Rajya Sabha member from the State after winning the bye-election to the Upper House.
The bye-election had been necessitated due to the resignation of  her predecessor, Thomas Sangma, who unsuccessfully contested the 2013 Assembly elections in the State on an NPP ticket.
As many as 55 Rajya Sabha seats in 16 states including one in Meghalaya are set to fall vacant in April for which elections are scheduled on February 7.
Opposition may contest RS seat
The Opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) has, meanwhile, indicated that it might contest the Rajya Sabha elections and further said that the party will hold discussion on whether to put up a candidate of their own to take on the Congress candidate (Wansuk Syiem).
Reacting to a query on how the UDP expects to win the seat since most of the legislators in the State Assembly are supporting the Congress-led MUA-II Government, UDP working president Bindo Lanong said the Congress is a divided house and many of their MLAs would vote for the Opposition in the upcoming Rajya Sabha bye-election.