Congress’s Naran Rathwa filed his nomination papers half-an-hour before the closing time
Incomplete paperwork by Congress candidate Naran Rathwa for Rajya Sabha polls sparked a high-voltage drama on Monday, the last date for filing nominations for elections to the four seats of the Upper House of Parliament from Gujarat. As questions were raised over the eligibility of Rathwa, the BJP managed to get the mandate for a third candidate.
There are now seven candidates in the fray – three from the BJP, two from Congress, one independent supported by Congress and another independent candidate.
Officials said Rathwa did not have a freshly issued no-dues certificate from the government of India. He was a Congress MP from Gujarat and minister of state for railways at the Centre between 2004 and 2009. He filed his nomination just before half-an-hour of the closing time.
Mystery shrouded over Rathwa's nomination with theories suggesting that former I&B union minister Rajiv Shukla would file nomination instead. Rumours continued to be in overdrive till Rathwa reached the Gujarat Assembly building to file his papers. Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki blamed BJP for the rumours.
Rathwa said, "My nomination has been filed. I delayed filing the nomination to cross-check all the documents being submitted."
The BJP has grabbed the opportunity and fielded a third candidate when the party candidates can win over two out of four seats looking at the number of voters. The scrutiny of nominations will be over by Tuesday afternoon and then only the picture will be clear. In the hope that Rathwa's nomination stays cancelled, the BJP fielded Kiritsinh Rana, a third candidate.
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said, "There is a lot of dissatisfaction in the Congress over the selection of the Rajya Sabha candidates. Realising that nomination of one of its candidates could be cancelled, the Congress has nominated PK Valera as an independent candidate. We feel many Congress MLAs will cross-vote, which would work to our advantage, and hence we have fielded Kiritsinh Rana as our third candidate. A clearer picture will emerge after scrutiny of nominations tomorrow. "
In the morning, two BJP candidates who are again ministers in the central government, Parsottam Rupala, and Mansukh Mandaviya, had filed nomination, but Rana filed nomination after Rathwa did. Sensing the plan of BJP, Congress immediately managed an independent candidate, as a backup option in case Rathwa's form is rejected. Former IAS from Gujarat and Congress leader PK Valera filed nomination as independent with support from Congress, as he did not have party mandate. Thereafter, another independent candidate Paresh Mulani too filed nomination, but he did not have any supporter and his nomination is deemed to be cancelled.
If nominations of all candidates are validated after scrutiny and more than four candidates remain in the fray after the deadline for withdrawal, there will be elections for Rajya Sabha in Gujarat on March 23.
SEVEN IN FRAY
- Congress’s Naran Rathwa filed his nomination papers half-an-hour before the closing time
- There are 7 names in the fray – 3 from BJP and 2 from Congress
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