Cong MLAs eye each other as race for Ukhand RS seat begins

The announcement of biennial election for the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Uttarakhand on June 11 has triggered hectic lobbying within the ruling party, with state Congress president Kishore Upadhyay among the aspirants.
The Rajya Sabha seat from the state will fall vacant when the six-year term of BJP MP Tarun Vijay comes to an end on July 4.
Biennial elections to 57 Rajya Sabha seats were announced by the Election Commission on May 12.
According to party sources, the long list of claimants for this seat also includes some MLAs who supported Chief Minister Harish Rawat in the floor test conducted on May 10.

The list also includes MLAs like Rajendra Bhandari, Anusuya Prasad Maikhuri and Navpraphat, who have been supporters of former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna and former union minister Satpal Maharaj, now with BJP.
However, several Rawat supporters are backing the Chief Minister's wife Renuka for the seat.

Party sources said Uttarakhand PCC president Kishore Upadhyay is also a strong contender.
With nine rebel Congress MLAs, who had joined hands with BJP in a bid to topple the Rawat government disqualified, the ruling party candidate will stand a good chance in the RS poll.
The assembly has an effective strength of 62. Congress has 27 MLAs besides Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal. The party also entails support of six members of Progressive Democratic Front (PDF). BJP, on the other hand, has the support of only 28 MLAs.