Monday, July 4 2005 14:57 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Communist Party of India, CPI (M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechuri, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, filed his nomination as a candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from West Bengal.

The party's sole woman politburo member Brinda Karat also filed his papers along with Yechuri.

Another senior CPI (M) functionary and CITU all India general secretary Chittabrata Majumdar and RSP's Abani Roy also filed their nominations.

Both Majumdar and Roy are sitting Rajya Sabha members. Noted economist and independent candidate Arjun Sengupta, jointly supported by the state's ruling Left Front and Congress, also formally entered the fray.

Six seats have fallen vacant from the state for the Upper House of parliament, with the polls scheduled for July 14. Each candidate requires 42 preferential votes to win. This would be the parliamentary debut for both Yechuri and Karat, who are mostly active in Delhi.

The Trinamool Congress has fielded the president of glamour soccer outfit Mohun Bagan and editor of a Bengali daily Swapan Sadhan Bose as its candidate for the polls. He filed his papers on July first.