Ravneet Singh files nomination as BJP candidate for RS bypolls

Jaipur: Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu filed nomination papers as the BJP candidate on Wednesday for the Rajya Sabha bypolls from Rajasthan.

Singh, who is the grandson of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, was accompanied by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Deputy Chief Ministers including Diya Kumari and Premchand Bairwa, and Parliamentary Affairs MinisterJogaram Patel while he filed the nomination papers.

After submitting the nomination papers, Returning Officer Mahavir Prasad Sharma administered the oath to the candidate.

Sunil Kothari also filed nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha bypolls as a cover candidate from the BJP.

Three candidates have submitted nomination papers from Rajasthan for the Rajya Sabha bypolls.

On August 17, independent Babita Baghwani filed nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha by-election.

The nomination papers will be scrutinised on August 22.

Bittu joined the BJP in March this year and contested the Lok Sabha polls, which he lost. However, he was appointed as a Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Railways. Under the rules, a minister who is not a member of either House of Parliament for six consecutive months shall cease to hold the post.

The current effective strength of Rajya Sabha is 229: of this, the BJP has 87 MPs, with the NDA allies taking the number to 105. The support of six nominated MPs takes the NDA’s strength further up to 111, four short of the half-way mark. The Opposition has 84 members: Congress 26, and allies 58.

Several of the 12 seats fell vacant as the sitting members, including Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Sarbananda Sonowal and Jyotiraditya Scindia, were elected to the Lok Sabha.