Alphons files RS nomination papers from Rajasthan

Yash Goyal

Our Correspondent

Jaipur, November 6

Union MoS for Tourism Alphons Kannanthanam on Monday filed his nomination paper for the Rajya Sabha elections to be held on November 16.  

Today is the last day of filing papers. The Congress, which has 24 MLAs in the Assembly, is not contesting the poll. Alphons is likely to be elected uncontested. The last date of withdrawal of nomination paper is November 9.

The seat fell vacant after M Venkaih Naidu, elected as Vice-President of India, resigned on August 10.

Alphons Joseph Kannanthanam, born 8 August 1953, is an Indian civil servant, advocate, and politician, a state BJP spokesman Anand Sharma said. Presently the Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Culture, and Tourism, Alphons is the second BJP Central Minister from Kerala after O. Rajagopal.  Kannanthanam belongs to the 1979 batch of the Indian Administrative Service, Kerala cadre. He was in Time Magazine's list of 100 Young Global Leaders. He pioneered the literacy movement in India by making Kottayam the first 100 per cent literate town of India in 1989.

He served as Commissioner of the Delhi Development Authority. Of the 10 seats in Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, there are presently seven BJP MPs, and two Congress whose term would expire early next year.