Ahuwalia files nomination for Jharkhand Rajya Sabha poll

Ranchi, April 21 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) outgoing deputy leader in the upper house of parliament, S.S. Ahluwalia Saturday filed nomination papers for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections from Jharkhand scheduled for May 3.

The Election Commission had countermanded the March 30 Rajya Sabha polls in the state in view of incidents of horse trading. Two seats from Jharkhand to the Rajya Sabha have to be filled.

Ahluwalia filed his papers here in presence of Chief Minister Arjun Munda and others. Jharkhand BJP in charge Harendra Pratap Singh said: "Both candidates of the ruling alliance will win the polls. We have the numbers. We have support of 45 legislators in the 81-member house and the Congress has only 13 legislators."

Partner in the ruling alliance, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has once again fielded Supreme Court lawyer Sanjeev Kumar in the polls.

The March 30 poll was countermanded after Rs.2.15 crore in cash was seized from a car belonging to a candidate's brother. The seized cash, a CBI official said, was probably meant to buy votes of legislators. The car carrying the money belonged to Suresh Agrawal, brother of R.K. Agrawal, the independent candidate.

The horse trading charges are being investigated by the CBI which Thursday filed a formal complaint against three people for alleged horse trading ahead of the polls in Jharkhand.

Congress has also announced it would fight the polls but is yet to declare its candidate. Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) of former chief minister Babulal Marandi, which has 11 members in the assembly has yet to take a decision over fielding a candidate. The party had fielded a candidate for the countermanded March 30 poll.