Cong may name singer Zubeen for RS berth

nNEWDELHI: The Congress-led opposition in Assam may send singer Zubeen Garg to the Rajya Sabha (RS) after the BJP nominated Bhubneshwar Kalita for the Upper House. On March 26, elections will be held for 55 RS seats from 17 states.

Kalita, a former Congress chief whip in the RS, quit the party on August 5 last year on grounds of being “opposed to national interest” -- shortly before the Bjp-led NDA government brought a resolution in Parliament to abrogate Article 370 and followed by a bill to bifurcate Jammu & Kashmir into two union territories -- and joined the BJP four days later.

The BJP has reserved the other seat for its alliance partner, Bodo People’s Front (BPF), which has nominated Biswajit Daimary as its candidate.

Garg has been overtly critical of the CAA and has drawn huge crowds at protest sites. He is considered a cultural successor to the state icon, Bhupen Hazarika, who passed away in 2011. Former Assam chief minister (CM), Tarun Gogoi, said that more possible candidates’ names are doing the rounds, including that of an owner of a Assamese daily. While the AIUDF [All India United Democratic Front] is keen on supporting a consensus candidate, we are yet to arrive at a common name,” said Gogoi.

“Gogoi has spoken publicly about backing Garg, but party leaders are also keen on a journalist, who has been vocal against the Citizenship [Amendment] Act,” said a senior Congress leader from Assam.

The AIUDF camp has also started floating the name of Aditya Langthasa, a former member of Assam legislative assembly from Hojai constituency, as a probable candidate.

On Tuesday, a senior a BJP leader from the state, Himanta Biswa Sarma, slammed the Congress for seeking the AIUDF’S help to get its candidate elected to the Upper House and warned it of losing people’s respect in Assam. “We’re not eyeing the third seat. Why is the Congress not fielding its own candidate instead of seeking help from the AIUDF? A person with dignity will never accept AIUDF’S support,” Sarma told reporters in Guwahati.

In reply, Gogoi said that in 2010, BJP and AIUDF had fielded a consensus candidate, but he lost to the Congress nominee.