BJP, Congress, NPF candidates file nominations for Manipur lone RS seat

Our Correspondent
Imphal, March 13 (EMN): Manipur’s titular king Sanajaoba Leishemba of  the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Tongbram Mangibabu of Indian National Congress (INC) and Honreikhui Kashung of Naga People’s Front (NPF) on Friday filed their nomination papers for the lone Rajya Sabha seat.

The scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on March 16 for the Rajya Sabha polls scheduled on March 26.

State Chief Minister N Biren Singh, council of ministers, MLAs and functionaries of the BJP accompanied Leishemba during the filing of nomination paper at the Manipur Legislative Assembly Secretariat in Imphal.

At present, BJP Manipur Pradesh president Ksh Bhabananda is the seating member of the Upper House from Manipur, whose term is due to expire in April this year.

INC candidate Mangibabu is a former MLA from Thanga assembly constituency in Bishnupur district. He was accompanied by Congress Legislature Party leader and former chief minister Okram Ibobi and ex-deputy chief minister and Congress Working Committee member Gaikhangam, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee President Moirangthem Okendra and congress MLAs during the filing of his nomination paper.

Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee leaders with its president M Okendra in the chair holds a marathon meeting on Thursday to nominate a consensus candidate as the party reportedly have three intending candidates including Mangibabu for the ensuing Rajya Sabha polls. However, the meeting could not take any decision till late last night.

Kashung was accompanied by the NPF state unit president Awangbou Newmai and MLA K Leishiyo during the filling of his nomination papaer.

Kashung a key functionary of NPF Manipur unit had contested in the state assembly elections in 2012 but he lost to INC candidate.

The scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on March 16.

Rajya Sabha polls has been scheduled on March 26.

Bhuyan, Kalita file papers for RS polls in Assam

Guwahati, March 13 (IANS): Senior journalist Ajit Bhuyan and Congress-turned-BJP leader Bhubaneswar Kalita filed their nomination for the Rajya Sabha election from Assam on Friday.

Kalita was accompanied at the legislative assembly by state Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state BJP chief Ranjeet Das and AGP president Atul Bora.

Kalita resigned from the Rajya Sabha where he was chief whip of the Congress last August and joined the BJP. Kalita had then said he was quitting in protest against the party’s stand opposing the abrogation of Article 370.

Congress-AIUDF candidate Bhuyan filed his nomination at the assembly in the company of former chief minister and veteran Congress leader Tarun Gogoi, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Ripun Bora.

Bhuyan has been one of the leading figures of the volatile movement against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Asjmal said the state’s anti-CAA protesters have come together as a family to uphold their cause and asserted the BJP would not ‘dare’ to put up a candidate for the third seat.

Eyeing a third straight term, Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) leader Biswajit Daimary two days back filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha polls from the state with the backing of e NDA partners BJP and the AGP.

The notification for the RS polls was issued on March 6, and Friday is the last date for filing nominations.