Union Health Minister J P Nadda files his nomination at Vidhan Sabha in Shimla on Thursday. Express
Union Health Minister and sitting Rajya Sabha member from Himachal Pradesh, J P Nadda, who Thursday filed his nomination papers for the lone Rajya Sabha seat in the state, is set to get elected unopposed. This will be Nadda’s second term as a Rajya Sabha member. He arrived Thursday morning from Delhi to file his nomination papers. Former CM Virbhadra Singh, who was in the state Assembly when Nadda went there to file his nomination papers, told reporters that he was not in favour of fielding a Congress candidate.
“We know our strength in the House. The BJP is far ahead in numbers. Even during the Congress regime when Rajya Sabha polls were held, BJP backed our candidates and vice-versa,” he said. Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mukesh Agnihotri also supported Virbhadra’s view but said a final decision would be announced in one or two days. “The issue has already been discussed in the CLP”.
The BJP has 44 members in the Assembly, apart from two Independents supporting the government. The Congress has 21 MLAs and CPM has one. Nadda’s current RS term ends next month. Talking to mediapersons after filing his nomination papers, Nadda said it was a matter of pride that the party high command had decided to re-nominate him from Himachal Pradesh.
“I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah for clearing my name and giving me a responsibility to contribute to state’s development, which is bound to see a fast-track double-engine growth with the NDA at the centre and Jai Ram Thakur in the state.”
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