GUWAHATI, May 15:
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today filed nomination papers for his fifth Rajya Sabha term from Assam, voicing his gratitude to the State for electing him to the Upper House for 21 years now.
Singh, 80, filed his nomination papers before Assam Assembly’s Principal Secretary G P Das, who is also the returning officer for the polls.
During his three-hour visit here, he filed the nomination papers amidst protests from media persons outside the Assembly gate as they were prevented from entering the premises for covering the event.
Prior to filing his nomination, the Prime Minister presided over the Congress Legislature Party’s meeting in the Assembly.
The Prime Minister submitted under oath four sets of papers endorsed by 40 MLAs to the Returning Officer.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Ranee Narah, Assam Pradesh Congress President Bhubaneswar Kalita along with several ministers were present on the occasion.
The Prime Minister in a brief interaction with the media expressed his gratitude to the people of Assam for making it possible for him to file nomination for the Rajya Sabha for the fifth time since 1991.
“Assam has done a great service to me by sending me to the Rajya Sabha. I cannot be grateful enough to the people of Assam,” he said.
“I have been an MP from Assam for 21 years. I shall endeavour to accelerate the development of Assam so that poverty and diseases are eliminated from the State in the next 10 years,” he said.
Singh’s term as Member of Parliament expires on June 14 with the Election Commission announcing the polls for two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam on May 30, the second seat being held by AGP MP Kumar Deepak Das.
The notification for the polls was issued on May 13 and the last date for filing of nominations is May 20.
As the media persons protested outside the Assembly gate, AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh, Kalita, the Chief Minister and several ministers came out to pacify them and asked them to come inside the premises to meet the Prime Minister.
They refused to go inside and Singh himself emerged to address them. However, as he spoke, some of the protesters shouted slogans.
Singh has been representing Assam in the Upper House since 1991 after he became the Union Finance Minister.
Former Chief Minister late Hiteswar Saikia had offered him a Rajya Sabha seat and even made Singh a tenant in his own house at Sorumotaria in Dispur.
Singh is expected to win the seat comfortably with Congress and its allies having a strength of 94 in the 126- member Assembly.
The nomination papers would be scrutinised on May 21 and May 23 is the last date of withdrawal of candidatures.
Polling, if necessary, would be held on May 30 from 0900 hours to 1600 hours. Counting would be taken up on May 30 at 1700 hours. (PTI)
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