Guwahati, May 9
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh filed his nomination papers for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha election slated for May 24, as the candidate of the ruling Congress party in Assam today.
The stage is virtually set for Dr Singh to represent the state in Rajya Sabha for the fourth term on the trot, given that 53-member strong Assam Congress Legislature Party (ASLEEP) and its coalition partner Bodoland People’s Progressive Front (BPOE) having 12 members in the 126-member Assembly have decided not to field a second candidate in the polls in the honour of the PM.
The election will be held for two seats including the one now represented by Dr Singh on expiry of his present term on June 14.
Dr Singh has been representing Assam in Rajya Sabha since 1991.
Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Union Minister for heavy industries Santosh Mohan Deb, AICC leaders Digvijay Singh and Motilal Vohra were with the PM as he filed four sets of nomination papers before the returning officer G P Das in the latter’s office in the Assembly complex here.
Talking to the media persons after filing the nomination, Dr Singh said, “I am committed to sustained, equitable and balanced development of a secured Assam.” He expressed his gratitude to the people of Assam for giving him an opportunity to represent the state in Rajya Sabha continuously for the last 15 years.
Meanwhile, the fractured opposition parties in Assam Assembly are yet to find a consensus common candidate for the second Rajya Sabha seat even as the parley is on among main opposition parties — Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), BJP and Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF).
Though there is apparently no problem between AGP and BJP or AGP and AUDF to strike a deal for the sake of a consensus candidate, the trouble basically is between BJP and AUDF because of their ideological differences.
