3 in fray for State RS polls

GUWAHATI, March 15 – Three nominations were submitted today for an identical number of Rajya Sabha (RS) seats of the State falling vacant on April 9 next with each of the partners of the ruling Congress-Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) alliance and the Opposition jointly fielding one candidate. Today being the last date for submission of nomination for the three seats, the outcome of the elections to the seats has thus become almost certain pending the official declaration.

While on behalf of the Congress its State president Bhubaneswar Kalita filed the nomination papers, for the BPF Biswajit Daimary filed the papers. The Oppositions’ candidate on the other hand is former Union Minister Birendraprasad Baishya, who is at present a general secretary of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).

According to State Assembly Secretary Gauranga Prasad Das, who is also the Returning Officer for the RS election scheduled for March 26, Kalita submitted three sets of papers and the Congress MLAs, including Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, supported his candidature.

Daimary submitted two sets of papers and his candidature was supported by the MLAs of both the Congress and the BPF, including the BPF Ministers Chandan Brahma and Pramila Rani Brahma.

Baishya submitted five sets of papers with the AGP, BJP, AUDF, CPI, CPI-M and some of the Independent MLAs supporting his candidature.

The nomination papers will be scrutinised on March 17. March 19 has been fixed as the last date for withdrawal of the papers. Only after the elapse of the deadline for withdrawal of the nomination, the formal results could be expected, Das said.

Baishya said, when contacted, AUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, CPI-M’s Uddhab Barman, CPI’s Drupad Borgohain, several BJP MLAs, besides the AGP MLAs present in the city and Independent MLA Chandi Brahma, supported his candidature in writing.

AGP-Progressive president and MLA Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and Independent MLA Pranab Kalita extended support to his candidature over phone, said Baishya.