Now a two-seat Rajya Sabha poll awaits Assam

Terms of Manmohan Singh and Santiuse Kujur to expire on June 14

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: After the three-phase Lok Sabha poll in Assam, a two-seat Rajya Sabha election is awaiting the State

The six-year terms of two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam – held by Congress candidates former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Santiuse Kujur – are going to expire in mid-June this year. The election to the two Rajya Sabha seats needs to be completed before the expiry of their terms.

Meanwhile, permutation and combination for these two Rajya Sabha seats has already been started among political parties in the State. If the present strength of legislators of the BJP-led coalition in the State has anything to go by, the ruling coalition has the number to wrest both the seats from the Congress. A party needs 43 votes to win a Rajya Sabha seat and 86 votes for two seats. Now the ruling coalition has 88 seats – 61 of the BJP, 14 of the AGP and 12 of the BPF, besides independent MLA Bhuban Pegu. On the other hand, Congress has 25 and the AIUDF has 13 legislators.

Meanwhile, talking to the media in Guwahati on Friday, Assam Legislative Assembly Principal Secretary MK Deka said that the terms of two Rajya Sabha seats in Assam are going to expire on June 14 this year, and hence the Election Commission of India may issue the poll notification soon.

Before the Lok Sabha poll when the AGP reverted to the BJP-led coalition, the BJP assured the AGP of leaving one of the two Rajya Sabha seats going to be vacated in June for the latter to field candidate. Since the arithmetic is tilted towards the BJP-led coalition in the State, it is not known if the Congress will project former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as its candidate for the Elders’ House from Assam or not.

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