Nationalist Congress Party candidate set to win Rajya Sabha byelection

Special Correspondent

MUMBAI: The Nationalist Congress Party’s State unit spokesperson, Vasant Chavan, will be elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha. Mr. Chavan filed his nomination papers on Tuesday for the byelection which was notified after the resignation of Sanjay Nirupam, who quit the Shiv Sena last month.

The Shiv Sena-BJP combine has not nominated a candidate. Tuesday was the last day for filing nominations for the byelection on April 30.

Mr. Chavan was earlier nominated for the Rajya Sabha seat in July 2004, but was asked to withdraw for Tariq Anwar, NCP general secretary.

The NCP is the single largest party in the Maharashtra Assembly and Mr. Chavan was nominated as the candidate though the Congress wanted to field its own nominee.

The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance decided not to put up a candidate as the Government has the majority and there is little chance of cross-voting.

"There is no need for a symbolic fight," said the BJP spokesperson, Prakash Javdekar.