RAIPUR: Congress candidates Rajeev Shukla and Ranjeeta Ranjan on Tuesday filed their nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections even as chief minister Bhupesh Baghel sought to defend the party’s decision to name leaders from outside the state for both seats, arguing that Shukla and Ranjan have parliamentary experience and “all parties do take such decisions”.
Main opposition BJP did not field its candidate for the biennial election while regional party Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) sprang a surprise by fielding former minister Haridas Bhardwaj.
Congress nominees journalist-turned-political commentator Rajeev Shukla and former Lok Sabha MP Ranjeeta Ranjan, who arrived in Raipur on Monday evening, were introduced to the legislators at the residence of CM Baghel before heading to the Vidhan Sabha secretariat to file their nomination papers.
Apart from Baghel, AICC general secretary P L Punia, state Congress president Mohan Markam, ministers and congress legislators were present during the filing of nomination papers. As the ruling Congress has a strength of 71 members in the 90-member Vidhan Sabha, it’s almost certain that both the Congress candidates will make it to the Upper House.
After filing their nomination papers, Shukla and Ranjeeta Ranjan vowed to take up in Rajya Sabha all issues pertaining to Chhattisgarh.
Baghel sought to defend the Congress decision to field candidates from outside the state for the Rajya Sabha seats.
(Full story on www.toi.in)
