BJP’s Indu Goswami files nomination for Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal
SHIMLA: Former chief of BJP’s Mahila Morcha Indu Goswami filed her nomination papers for a Rajya Sabha seat on Friday at the Himachal Pradesh assembly here and is set to be elected unopposed.
Accompanied by chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, state BJP chief Rajeev Bindal and other party leaders, Goswami submitted her nomination papers to assembly secretary Yash Paul Sharma.
The scrutiny of nomination papers will be done on March 16 and the same can be withdrawn till March 18.
The elections for the seat will be held on March 26. The counting of votes will take place on the same day at 5pm. One of the three Rajya Sabha seats from the state will fall vacant as Vipolve Thakur of the Congress is set to retire from the Upper House of Parliament on April 6.
The opposition Congress decided not to field its candidate as the ruling BJP is set to bag the seat as it has a total of 44 MLAs in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh assembly. Two independent
MLAs Parkash Rana and Hoshiyar Singh are supporting the BJP. The opposition Congress has 21 members whereas Rakesh Singha is the lone CPI(M) MLA.
Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said, “Previously, this seat was represented by women, so party had decided to nominate a woman leader. The BJP had sought cooperation from Congress and the opposition party decided not to field a candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat. We are thankful to the opposition for not fielding any candidate.”
Soon after filing her nomination, Goswami expressed her gratitude to central and state leadership for nominating her for the seat. “I will work for the welfare of the state by raising issues faced by the people here with the Centre,” she said.
She had resigned from the post of chief of state BJP’s Mahila Morcha in July last year following differences with chief miniter Jai Ram Thakur and then party chief Satpal Singh Satti. On Friday, she underplayed her differences and said “I have been working for the party for the last 36 years and my nomination signifies that the party recognises my services as a party worker.”