Congress in search of Rajya Sabha seat for Anand Sharma

Getting  Union commerce minister Anand Sharma re-elected to Rajya Sabha seems to have put the Congress leadership in a dilemma. Sharma’s term in the Upper House ends on April 2.

The Union minister was elected to Rajya Sabha from Himachal Pradesh in 2004. However, Congress doesn’t have the required strength in the assembly now to get him re-elected.
Sharma can continue as minister for a period of six months following the termination of his parliamentary term, but he must be re-elected to either House by the end of this cushion period.

His name didn’t figure in the party’s list of nominees for election to Rajya Sabha next month from Assam, Punjab, Kerala and Nagaland.

The Congress leadership had cleared the names of defence minister AK Antony (Kerala) and sports minister MS Gill (Punjab), whose terms end early April, for re-nomination from their respective states.

The states from where Congress can have its nominees elected in the near future include Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Rajasthan.
Congress sources say that from these states, it’s a possible toss between Madhya Pradesh and Haryana for Sharma. With several contenders eyeing a Rajya Sabha nomination from the limited seats, party president Sonia Gandhi will have to do a major balancing act.