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Yash Goyal
Jaipur, May 31
It would not be a cakewalk for four BJP candidates, including Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and party vice-president Om Prakash Mathur, in the June 11 Rajya Sabha poll as Kamal Morarka, a former Union minister and an industrialist, on Tuesday filed his nomination papers as an Independent candidate. He is banking on support from the Congress and Independents.
Today being the last date of filing nomination papers, there are now five candidates in the fray for four RS seats falling vacant by next month.
Morarka, who was Union minister in the Chandrashekar government, traditionally belonged to a Marwari family and was supported by Independents and others — mainly Kirorilal Meena, MLA and leader of National People Party (NPP), and the BSP having 16 MLAs.
The Congress with its flock of 24 MLAs may support Independent Morarka to give a tough time to the ruling BJP that has a strength of 160 MLAs, party sources said.
Morarka, a leading industrialist, owns construction company Gannon Dunkerley and Company Ltd besides Morarka Foundation.
BJP candidates Union Urban Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, party's vice-president Om Prakash Mathur , Harsh Vardhan Singh, member of Dungarpur Royal family; and Ram Kumar Verna, a Dalit leader have filed their nomination papers yesterday.
In the 200-member Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, the BJP has 160 MLAs and Opposition Congress has 24. There are seven independent MLAs, four of National People’s Party, three of National Unionist Jamindara Party and two BSP MLAs in the House.
Four Rajya Sabha seats will fall vacant after Ashq Ali Tak (Congress), and BJP’s Ram Jethmalani and Vijayendra Pal Singh would retire from by July 4. Congress MP Anand Sharma had already resigned from his seat on March 7.
Scrutiny of papers will take place on June 1 and the last date of withdrawal of nomination is by June 3.
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