GUWAHATI, March 17 � The nomination papers filed by Congress� Najnin Faruqui and Silvious Condpan and Opposition�s Jayanta Baruah for the March 26 elections to the two Rajya Sabha (RS) seats of the State were found valid during the scrutiny today. This was stated by Assembly Secretary GP Das, who is the Returning Officer for the RS elections from the State.
Meanwhile, the Opposition camp has almost decided to issue whips to its members to avoid cross-voting during the RS elections.
Though the Opposition is seemingly in a comfortable position and is proclaiming sure win of its candidate, the Congress needs to win over at least seven more votes to get its second nominee Silvious Condpan elected to the Upper House.
AGP leader Phani Bhusan Choudhury, who is appointed election agent of Jayanta Baruah, said that with the present alignment in the Assembly, the Congress can at best boast of the support of 78 legislators.
If 45 of these legislators cast their first preference votes in favour of Faruqui to avoid any untoward development, the Congress will have to depend on the votes of the other Independent legislators and some Opposition legislators to get Condpan elected to the Upper House.
Choudhury said that the Opposition parties would issue whips to their legislators under such a condition to avoid cross-voting.
To win in the RS elections this time, a candidate will have to secure at least 43 votes, going by the present number strength of 126-member State Legislature.
