Prime Minister Manmohan Singh files RS nomination in Asom

Guwahati, May 9 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today filed his nomination for the May 24 Rajya Sabha elections in the Assam Legislative Assembly, seeking a fourth consecutive term from his ''adopted home state''.

Dr Singh drove to the state Assembly from his Sarumotoria residence in the city, which he had retained as his official address after being elected to the Rajya Sabha from the state for the first time in 1991.

The Prime Minister, after filing his papers, said, ''I am obliged to the people of Asom for giving me this opportunity to represent the state for the fourth time.'' ''I will try my best to promote development in the state and remove the disparity in growth the state is facing,'' he added.

The Prime Minister submitted four sets of nomination papers to state Assembly Secretary G P Das at 1115 hrs. Altogether 40 MLAs had put their signatures on the nomination papers, with each set signed by eight Congress and two Bdodoland People's Progressive Front (Hagrama) (BPPF-H) legislators.

The BPPF-H, with 12 MLAs, is a coalition partner of the Congress at Dispur. The Congress has 53 members in the 126-member state Assembly, while its other coalition partner, the Nationalist Congress Party, has one member.

Dr Singh was flanked by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and senior Congress leader Motilal Vora, both AICC observers for the Rajya Sabha elections, besides state party in-charge Digvijay Singh, Union Minister Santosh Mohan Dev, Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, state Transport Minister Chandan Brahma, a BPPF(H) member and state Congress president Bhubaneswar Kalita.

The Prime Minister later addressed a Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting at the Assembly premises. The CLP had yesterday unanimously nominated Dr Singh for re-election to the Upper House.

Meanwhile, Opposition parties are yet to arrive at a consensus over the second seat, the elections for which would also be held on May 24.

While Dr Singh is seeking re-election on the seat he is due to vacant on June 14, the term of BJP's Indramoni Bora would also expire on the same day.

UNI