New Delhi: Union Minister Premchand Gupta of RJD, senior BJP leader C P Thakur and former chief ministers Shanta Kumar (BJP) of Himachal Pradesh and Mukut Mithi (Cong) of Arunachal Pradesh are among 19 candidates who filed their nominations today for the March 26 Rajya Sabha elections.

The Congress pulled the rug from under Trinamool Congress by aligning with its bitter political rival CPI(M) to back an independent Muslim candidate in West Bengal, while BJD decided to field a dark horse and Balbir Punj (Cong) entered the fray for the biennial polls from Orissa. The crisis in the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu on the issue meanwhile blew over with PMK pledging support alliance nominees despite being given short shrift regarding an RS ticket.

Gupta filed nomination papers in Patna by former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan's brother Pashupati Paras in light of the RJD's promise to back Lok Janshakti Party's Sabir Ali.

JD(U) spokesman Shivanand Tiwari, former state planning board deputy chairman N K Singh and Thakur are ruling JD(U) candidates while Backward Muslim Morcha leader Mohd Ejaz Ali, son-in-law of former assembly speaker late Gulam Sarwar, filed his papers for the lone RS byelection from Bihar necessitated due to the death of RJD member Motiur Rehman.

Four Left Front nominees Shyamal Chakraborty, Tarini Roy and Prasanata Chatterjee (CPI-M) and Forward Bloc general Secretary Debabrata Biswas submitted nominations for the five seats in West Bengal while Urdu daily editor A S Malihabadi is fighting as an independent with both Congress and LF backing.

Source : PTI