Ex-Indian PM Manmohan Singh will not be nominated to Rajya Sabha from Assam again

Singh and another Congress MP Santiuse Kujur’s current term in the Upper House of the Parliament will end on June 14.

After landslide victory in the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is now aiming to increase their numbers in the Rajya Sabha.

The Election Commission has announced elections on June 7 to fill the two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam, one of which is represented by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the other by Santiuse Kujur, also a Congress member.

Singh has been representing Assam in the Upper House since 1991.

In the 126-member Assam assembly, Congress has only 25 MLAs compared to the combined 87 MLAs of ruling alliance which is made up of 61 from BJP, 14 from Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and 12 from Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).

The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has 12 MLAs while there is an independent MLA who is lending his support to the ruling alliance.

If the Congress and AIUDF have come together with a consensus candidate, they cannot ensure for victory as they have not the required number of MLAs.

Meanwhile, BJP will contest one seat and its ally party AGP will contest in the rest seat.

Former BJP MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, who denied to give the party ticket in this Lok Sabha election will be the BJP candidate in one Rajya Sabha seat and former Union minister and senior AGP leader Birendra Prasad Baishya will contest in another seat.

On the other hand, Returning Officer for the Rajya Sabha election in Assam, AN Deka said that, if required, the voting will be held on June 7.

“Filing for the nomination for the two Rajya Sabha seats will be ended at 3 pm on May 28. Scrutiny for the nomination will be held on May 29 and withdrawal of nomination is scheduled on May 31. If only single nomination for each seat will submit, then the election process will be ended on May 31. If required, voting for both seats will hold on June 7,” Deka said.

(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)