GUWAHATI, March 13 - Bhubaneswar Kalita of BJP, Biswajit Daimary of BPF and the joint Congress-AIUDF backed Independent candidate Ajit Kumar Bhuyan look set to get elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Assam.
Today was the last date for filing of nomination papers for the March 26 elections to the three Rajya Sabha seats from the State.
Kalita and Bhuyan submitted their nominations today. Daimary had already filed his nomination on Wednesday.
With only three candidates having entered the fray for the three seats, all of them are set to be elected unopposed.
Scrutiny of nomination papers will be done on March 16 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is on March 18.
Once these stages are completed and if there are no problems during the scrutiny and none of the nominees withdraw, then all three candidates will be declared elected unopposed on March 18.
Kalita was accompanied by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance Minister and NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma, State BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass, AGP president and Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, BPF�s Daimary and other leaders of the ruling alliance when he submitted his nomination papers to Returning Officer AN Deka at the Assam Legislative Assembly complex.
On the other hand, Bhuyan was accompanied by former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal, Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia, State Congress president Ripun Bora, CPI(M) leader Hemen Das, CPI leader Dambaru Bora, former minister Rakibul Hussain, as well as members of the legal fraternity, civil society and artiste community.
Bhuyan said that as a member of the Rajya Sabha he will focus on issues and problems affecting the State and also on challenges �faced by the language, culture and heritage of Assam�.
Kalita, on his part, thanked the leadership and cadres of the BJP and said that all must resolve to work together for development of the country.
There was speculation in the last few days that the ruling alliance may decide to field a candidate for the third seat as well thus forcing a formal contest. However, that did not happen in the end.
�We do not want to win a Rajya Sabha seat by managing the votes of AIUDF MLAs. If we want to win the third seat then we will need the support of some people in the AIUDF. But there is no question of the BJP associating with Badruddin Ajmal either directly or indirectly,� said Finance Minister Sarma.
He also criticised Bhuyan for taking support of the AIUDF and alleged that the veteran journalist had let down the Assamese community and the intellectual circle of Assam.
�If such a drama was necessary just for the sake of a Rajya Sabha seat then he (Bhuyan) should have joined Ajmal�s party earlier... Where is the issue of CAA? He (Bhuyan) has taken the support of Badruddin Ajmal. Ajit Kumar Bhuyan is Ajmal�s candidate,� said Sarma.
Bhuyan, however, refuted the charge and said, �I am an Independent candidate and I will act as per my conscience. I have nothing to do with their (Congress and AIUDF) agenda. Today the unity of the Opposition is building up against the totalitarian agenda of the BJP. That itself is good news for our democracy.�
He also accused the BJP of indulging in the politics of polarization.
