Manmohan Singh likely to return to RS from Rajasthan, to file nomination on Aug 13

New Delhi, Aug 9: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh is likely to return to the Rajya Sabha with his name being cleared by the Congress as the party's candidate for the bypoll to the Upper House of Parliament from Rajasthan.

According to sources, Singh will be going to Jaipur to file his nomination papers on August 13. "The party has decided to nominate Singh for the Rajya Sabha bye-election," a source in the Congress told PTI.

The vacancy was created after the death of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Madanlal Saini, who passed away on June 24. If elected, Singh will have his Rajya Sabha tenure till April 3, 2024.

The veteran Congress leader was a member of the Upper House of Parliament from Assam for almost three decades. He was a Rajya Sabha member for five consecutive terms from 1991 to 2019 and the country's prime minister for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2014. His tenure in the Rajya Sabha ended on June 14 this year and he could not be renominated as the Congress party did not have the strength to send him to the Upper House from Assam again and there was no other vacancy left.

The Election Commission has already announced the schedule for filling up the Rajya Sabha vacancy from Rajasthan. The notification for the Rahya Sabha bypoll in Rajasthan was issued on August 7. The last date for filing nominations is August 14. The election could be held on August 26 and the results will be declared the same day. The Congress has a majority in Rajasthan and thus, Singh is likely to win the bypoll.