COURTESY TOI AUG 13

Ex-PM Manmohan to file RS nomination from Raj today
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Jaipur:

Former PM Manmohan Singh will file his nomination for the Rajya Sabha bypoll from Rajasthan on Tuesday, deputy chief minister and state Congress chief Sachin Pilot confirmed on Monday.

Singh was a Rajya Sabha member from Assam for five consecutive terms, beginning 1991. He couldn't be renominated after his last stint ended on June 14 because Congress now has only 24 MLAs in the 126-member assembly. Voting for the Rajasthan seat, which fell vacant after the death of state BJP president Madan Lal Saini, is scheduled for August 26.

Counting will take place at 5pm on the same day. Rajasthan has 10 Rajya Sabha seats, nine of which are currently with BJP. BJP is still to decide on putting up a candidate against Singh. A meeting has been convened on Tuesday to take a call on this, opposition leader Gulab Chand Katara said.

Since Congress enjoys a majority in the assembly, Singh is expected to win the bypoll comfortably. Congress has 100 MLAs in the 200-member House, while BJP has 72.