Guwahati: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has named former Jorhat MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa as its candidate for one of the two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam.
The saffron party’s announcement came after it decided to share the other seat with ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which named former Union minister Birendra Prasad Baishya as its candidate. This was part of its poll-alliance commitment with the regional party.
Going by the current strength of political parties, victory of the BJP and its alliance partner in the upper house of Parliament this time is almost confirmed.
Earlier, sources in the BJP had told EastMojo that three senior leaders, including Tasa, veteran state BJP leader Manoj Ram Phukan and former MLA Mission Ranjan Das had collected papers from the party’s head office in Hengarabari, Guwahati.
In a crucial meeting held in New Delhi in presence of BJP president Amit Shah, Assam chief minister sarbananda Sonowal and NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday, the BJP decided to fight in one seat for the two seats of Rajya Sabha from Assam.
The meeting also ruled out any possibility of Lok Janasakti Party (LJS) party president Ram Vilas Paswan contesting from Assam in Rajya Sabha. Senior AGP leaders like Atul Bora and Keshab Mahanta were also present during the meeting.
Both the candidates will now file their nomination papers before May 28, the last date for doing so.
The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers is May 31. Polling will start from 9 am and continue till 4 pm on June 7. If necessary, counting of votes will start from 5 pm on that day. The election has been necessitated as terms of present Rajya Sabha members, former PM Manmohan Singh and Santiuse Kujur, will expire on June 14.
GUWAHATI IS THE EPICENTRE FOR NORTH EAST DEVELOPMENT