RS Poll: Sonowal Files Nomination, Set To Get Elected Uncontested

GUWAHATI, September 21: Union minister for Shipping, Ports, Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal filed his nomination papers for a Rajya Sabha seat at the Assam Assembly Secretariat here on Tuesday.

The seat is one of seven across the country where elections would be conducted on October 4.

“Submitted my nomination for the Rajya Sabha polls, at Assam Legislative Assembly. I am grateful to CM Shri @himantabiswa, @BJP4Assam President Shri @Bhabesh_Kalita, @agpofficial_ President Shri @ATULBORA2, BTR CEM Shri @PramodBoroBTR & all others who accompanied me today,” Sonowal tweeted after filing nomination.

With Congress and other opposition parties not naming any candidate for the polls, Sonowal is expected to win the election uncontested.

The last date for filing of nominations is Wednesday.

During the filing of nomination, the former chief minister was accompanied by current chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state BJP president Bhabesh Kalita, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president and agriculture minister Atul Bora, and United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) president and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) chief Pramod Boro.

Sonowal currently represents the Majuli seat in the 126-member Assembly. His nomination to the Upper House in Parliament became necessary after he was made a Union minister.

He is expected to resign from his assembly seat after October 4.

The Rajya Sabha seat was vacated by Biswajit Daimary, who contested the Panery Assembly seat as a BJP candidate and was chosen as the speaker of the House.

Sonowal had in 2016 become the first chief minister of a BJP-led government in Assam. Unlike that year, the BJP refrained from projecting him as the chief ministerial candidate during the 2021 poll.

I congratulate Sonowal on his nomination so that he can contribute towards Assam and northeast’s development from the floor of the parliament as well as a minister of the Union cabinet,” Sarma said after filing nomination papers.

Congress, which had snapped its grand alliance with All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has decided not to field any candidate for the upcoming polls.

“We decided against fielding any candidate for this Rajya Sabha polls as the numbers are not in our favor,” Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah said on Monday.

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