Guwahati: The ruling BJP and its allies will contest all the three Rajya Sabha seats that will fall vacant in Assam in April this year, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
He claimed the victory of their candidates in two seats is confirmed, while the third one may also end up in their kitty.
The seats held by two BJP MPs, Bhubaneswar Kalita and Rameswar Teli, and one Independent MP, Ajit Bhuyan, will fall vacant in April.
Sarma said the ruling alliance had earlier chosen not to field a candidate against Bhuyan, believing he would remain “neutral and will work for good”. He added, however, that this assessment had changed. “But what he did with his Rajya Sabha MP funds we all know,” the chief minister said, referring to allegations of irregularities in the use of MP development funds.
The numbers in the Assam Assembly currently favour the ruling coalition. The BJP has 64 MLAs, while its allies — the Asom Gana Parishad, United People’s Party Liberal and Bodoland People’s Front — together account for 19 more members.
On the opposition benches, the Congress has 26 MLAs, the All India United Democratic Front 15, and the CPI(M) one. There is also one Independent legislator in the House.
With the arithmetic firmly on its side, the BJP-led alliance appears confident of consolidating its presence in the Rajya Sabha from Assam, even as it prepares for a contest over the third seat.
