Congress names Ripun Bora, Jeby Mather as RS candidates from Assam, Kerala

The Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday approved the candidature of Ripun Bora and Jeby Mather as the party's Rajya Sabha candidates from Assam and Kerala.

Bora, 66, is currently serving as MP Rajya Sabha. He was elected to the Upper House of Parliament in March, 2016 and his tenure is set to end on April 2.

Notably, Bora was also once suspended from Parliament along with 7 other MPs for their "unruly behaviour" during the farm laws ruckus in the house.

Jeby, an AICC member, is the state president of the Mahila Congress in Kerala. Of the three Rajya Sabha seats from the state that will become vacant by April, the Left Democratic Front is expected to retain two seats while the United Democratic Front might retain one.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) had on March 7 announced that the polls to fill 13 Rajya Sabha seats across six states will be held on March 31. Of the 13 seats - five are in Punjab, three in Kerala, two in Assam, and one each in Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, and Nagaland.

The Punjab members who are retiring on April 9 are retiring are -- Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa (SAD), Pratap Singh Bajwa (INC), Shwait Malik (BJP), Naresh Gujral (BJP) and Shamsher Singh Dullo (INC).

In Kerala -- A. K. Antony (INC), K. Somaprasad (CPI-M) and MV Shreyams Kumar (LJD) will retire on April 2.

For Assam -- Ripun Bora (INC), who has been again declared as Congress candidate is set to retire on April 2 along with Ranee Narah of the same party.

The remaining retirees are -- Anand Sharma (INC) from Himachal Pradesh, Jharna Das (CPI-M) from Tripura and K.G. Kenye (NPF) from Nagaland.

--IANS

uj/shs