The Hindu : National : Jaya Bachchan again files papers for Rajya Sabha

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 02, 2006

National

National

Jaya Bachchan again files papers for Rajya Sabha

Atiq Khan

Ten Samajwadi Party MLAs propose her name; likely to be elected unopposed

SEEKING RE-ELECTION: Jaya Bachchan filing her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha in Lucknow on Thursday. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, U.P Development Council chairman Amar Singh and party MP Jayapradha are also seen. — Photo: Subir Roy

Lucknow: Jaya Bachchan and Amir Alam Khan of the Samajwadi Party on Thursday filed papers for byelections to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.

The byelections were caused by the disqualification of Ms. Bachchan and the resignation of Anil Ambani (who was elected as an independent) in the wake of the office of profit controversy. Both of them were elected to the Upper House in June 2004.

The name of Ms. Bachchan, who filed her nomination in the backdrop of President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam returning the Office of Profit Bill passed by Parliament, was proposed by 10 ruling party MLAs. She was accompanied to the central hall of the Assembly by Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Development Council Chairman Amar Singh, Sahara India chief Subrata Roy Sahara and party MP Jayaprada.

Ms. Bachchan was disqualified as a member of the Upper House on March 17 following Presidential assent to the Election Commission's ruling on a petition by Madan Mohan Shukla of the Congress. Mr. Shukla said she held an office of profit (as chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council) at the time of filing her nomination for the Upper House.

Last week, Ms. Bachchan resigned as Film Development Council chairperson.

Nominations for the June 15 byelections close on June 5. Going by current indications, both Ms. Bachchan and Mr. Khan will be elected unopposed.

According to returning officer Rajendra Prasad Pandey, the electoral college consists of the 403 members of the Vidhan Sabha. The winning count will be determined on the basis of 50 per cent of the members plus one.

In the Assembly, the SP has 157 MLAs, the Bharatiya Janata Party 83, the Bahujan Samaj Party 67, the Loktantrik Bahujan Dal (a breakaway faction of the BSP) 38, the Congress 16, the Rashtriya Lok Dal 15, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) 2, the U.P. Loktantrik Congress 2, the Akhil Bharatiya Congress 1, the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha 1, Independents 16 and unattached members 5. One is a nominated member belonging to the Anglo-Indian community.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail