Sarbananda Sonowal files nomination for Rajya Sabha seat in Assam

GUWAHATI: Union minister and former chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday filed his nomination from a Rajya Sabha seat in Assam and is all set to be elected unopposed after the opposition decided not to field any candidate against him.
The last date for the filing nominations for the Rajya Sabha polls is September 22 and the results will be declared on October 4.
Accompanied by chief Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP president Bhabesh Kalita and leaders of allies AGP and UPPL, Sonowal filed his papers before returning officer Dulal Pegu in the Assam assembly.
The Rajya Sabha seat fell vacant after assembly speaker Biswajit Daimary resigned from the Upper House following his election to the assembly last April.
Sonowal was elected to the assembly from Majuli for the second consecutive term in May this year. The 59-year-old BJP leader was inducted into the cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July.
Sarma, while thanking the opposition for not putting up any candidate, said, “My best wishes are with the Union minister from whose vision and leadership we have gained a lot. We hope that he will continue to raise the voice of Assam and the northeast before the Centre.”
There are seven Rajya Sabha seats from Assam of which six are currently occupied — two each by BJP (Bhubaneswar Kalita and Kamakhya Prasad Tasa) and Congress (Ripun Bora and Ranee Narah), one by AGP (Birendra Prasad Baishya) and one by Independent Ajit Kumar Bhuyan.