BJP leader Birender Singh on Monday filed his nomination papers for RS polls.
Union Minister and BJP leader Birender Singh on Monday filed his nomination papers here for the the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha to be held on June 11. The name of Rural Development Minister had figured in the list of 12 candidates released by the BJP yesterday for the Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant in various states.
The party has not yet announced the name of the second candidate from Haryana, with two seats currently occupied by Union Ministers Birender Singh and Suresh Prabhu falling vacant in August. Tomorrow is the last date for filing nominations. At the time of filing of nomination here, Birender Singh was accompanied by his MLA-wife Prem Lata. Among others present on the occasion included Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Cabinet Ministers Ram Bilas Sharma and O P Dhankar.
The terms of Birender Singh and Suresh Prabhu are ending on August 1. The two were elected following by-elections held in 2014. At present, BJP has 47 MLAs in the 90-member Haryana Assembly, INLD has 19, Congress 17 (Kuldeep Bishnoi's 2-member HJC merged with Cong recently), BSP 1, SAD 1 and 5 are Independents. With suspense on for the second RS seat from the state, Haryana's main opposition party INLD said that it had authorised its party president to take a decision, with party sources saying that it could be a consensus candidate acceptable to both BJP and the former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala led outfit.
INLD had earlier ruled out possibility of coordination with the Congress in this regard. The BJP does not have adequate numbers to get two candidates elected and it was making all efforts to field someone who is acceptable to the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) as well. Speculations were rife that one of the few names that includes a former BSP leader and another one who belongs to Haryana could be fielded tomorrow.
However, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar kept the cards close to his chest today and did not reveal who could be the second candidate.
When asked who would be the second candidate who will be nominated for the Upper House from Haryana, Khattar said, "efforts are on with regards to the second candidate. We (BJP and INLD) are hopeful that we can have a consensus. I want that both the candidates should be elected unopposed." "Still there is one day to go and we will inform you when we take a decision," Khattar told reporters here without providing further details. The INLD and Congress independently do not have the numbers to get their candidate elected. While the Congress leaders including former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has on several occasions suggested that the INLD and Congress should have a consensus candidate, it has always been rejected by Chautala.
Meanwhile, Birender Singh, expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah for nominating him for election to Rajya Sabha from Haryana for the second time. Singh told reporters here that the party had expressed faith in him and he would always advocate for the interests of Haryana.
Thanking Chief Minister Khattar, Singh said that Haryana was the first state to achieve its target under the 'Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana'.
Similarly, Haryana has performed well under the Swachhta Abhiyaan and open defecation-free campaign and achieved 77 per cent of its targets.
He said that under the leadership of Khattar, Haryana has made the 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' campaign successful, which has been appreciated by the Prime Minister on many occasions.
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