Subrata cleared to fight RS polls from Bengal

Kolkata, Mar 17 (UNI) Former Mayor and Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee's nomination for the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha was declared valid after scrutiny today.

Elections will be held for five Rajya Sabha seats, for which six candidates are in the fray, on March 28.

Four of these seats are currently held by Mr Nilotpal Basu (CPI-M), Mr Dipankar Mukherjee (CPI-M), Mr Manoj Bhattacharya (RSP) and Mr Jayanta Bhattacharya (Congress)--all set to retire. The fifth seat fell vacant following the death of CPI(M) member Biplab Dasgupta.

The returning officer and Assembly Secretary J L Chakraborty said Mr Mukherjee's papers were found in order.

''He is a valid candidate,'' he said, ending speculations after Trinamool Congress raised objection questioning the validity of Mr Mukherjee's nomination.

Trinamool Congress questioned how could Mr Mukherjee file a nomination as a Congress candidate when he was still a Nationalist Congress Party Councillor.

Mr Mukherjee, who left Trinamool Congress before the last municipal election, to return to the Congress fold had told reporters that he was fighting at the directive of the Congress High Command.

UNI KDG BA LR BST1555