Opp. furore over Nota in RS polls

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Tuesday after Opposition members led by the Congress protested over an Election Commission (EC) notification that provides MLAs the option of “None of the Above” (Nota) while voting for new Rajya Sabha members.

The Congress’ reservations come at a time when one of its senior leaders, Ahmed Patel, is pitted in a close electoral battle to Rajya Sabha from Gujarat.

The BJP has the numbers to ensure the election of BJP national president Amit Shah and I&B minister Smriti Irani. It’s Gujarat’s third seat, where the BJP has decided to field Balwantsingh Rajput against Mr Patel, that is the bone of contention.

Till just last month, Mr Rajput was Gujarat Congress’ chief whip in the Assembly.

Speaking against the introduction of Nota in Rajya Sabha, Congress MP Anand Sharma said, “It vitiates the election... Constitution has not been amended. Representation of the People Act has not been amended. (yet) Nota has been introduced... Unless the Constitution is amended, how can this be done?” Mr Sharma also said that if a change was required, it meant amending a legislation, which has to be done by

Bhubaneswar: Opposition vice-presidential candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi met BJD MPs in New Delhi ahead of the polls on August 5. Mr Gandhi met the parliamentarians at MP Bhartruhari Mahtab’s official residence where MPs Pinaki Mishra, Baijayant Panda, Pratyusha Rajeswari, Prasanna Patasani, Anubhav Mohanty and Pratap Deb among others were present. Speaking to reporters, Mr Gandhi recollected his Odisha connection saying that eminent economist Prabhat Patnaik and Jayant Das, descendant of Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das, are his good friends.