nomination papers of Jaya, Amir passes scrutiny test in RS polls

Lucknow, June 6 (UNI) Former Samajwadi Party MPs - - cine star Bachchan Jaya Amitabh and Amir Alam Khan - - are all set to be elected unopposed in the Rajya Sabha bypolls in Uttar Pradesh as their nomination papers were found in order.

Principal secretary(assembly)and returning officer for the election Rajendra Prasad Pandey during the scrutiny of the nomination papers today, found them in order.

'' as only two candidates are in the fray against the same number of seats, both would be declared elected unopposed on June 8 after 1500 hours when the time for withdrawal of nomination expires, '' Mr Pandey said.

On the last day of filing nomination yesterday, no other candidate filed their papers -- leaving only the SP nominees in fray.

This would be Ms Bachchan's second entry to the RS after 2004.

She had to resign the seat in March following the raging office of profit controversy. Mr Khan will make his maiden entry in the upper house.

The main opposition BJP and Congress had already expressed their unwillingness to contest the two RS seats.

BSP was not keen to fight the bypolls as the winning candidate was to be decided by majority vote seperately for the two seats.

State BJP president Keshri Nath Tripathi had told UNI that since the winners would be decided seperately by majority vote of the assembly, the party was not interested in contesting the bypolls.

''Even a joint-opposition candidate will not be able to win as the SP-led coalition has the majority in the house.'' Congress legislature party leader Pramod Tiwari had already announced the party would not contest the RS bypolls.

UNI MB MSJ VV1515