Anand Sharma files papers for Himachal Rajya Sabha seat

Former union minister and Congress leader Anand Sharma on Wednesday filed his nomination for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from his home state Himachal Pradesh.

The seat is falling vacant on April 2 when the term of sitting member, Vimla Kashyap of the Bharatiya Janata Party, will come to an end.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and other party leaders accompanied Sharma when he filed the papers here.

"It was 32 years back when Anand Sharma was made the president of the Youth Congress by me," the octogenarian chief minister said, adding he was happy to see him rise in his political career.

Sharma earlier submitted his resignation from the Rajya Sabha seat of Rajasthan as his term is expiring in July this year.

This is the third time that he is contesting from Himachal Pradesh for the upper house.

Earlier, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from the state in 1984 and 2003.

His election seems a certainty as the Congress has 36 legislators in the 68-member assembly and the opposition BJP may not to field a candidate.

Five Independents, mostly BJP and Congress rebels, are now associate members of the Congress.

As per the election schedule, the candidates can file nominations from March 9 to 11 and the date of withdrawal of nomination is March 14. If required, the election will be held on March 21.