S Jaishankar
For the Rajya Sabha poll from Gujarat, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday filed his nomination papers. Poll is scheduled on July 5.
On Monday evening, hours after he officially joined the BJP in the presence of BJPs working president J P Nadda in Delhi, Jaishankar (64) reached Ahmedabad.
He had served as the Foreign Secretary in the previous Modi-led government. He was inducted into the Union cabinet in Modi's second term.
From Gujarat, state BJP's OBC cell president Jugalji Thakor also filed his papers for the second Rajya Sabha seat.
Two RS seats vacant
After BJP leaders Amit Shah and Smriti Irani were elected to the Lok Sabha last month, the two seats were vacated.
As per norms, a minister who is not a member of Parliament has to be elected to either House within six months of his or her swearing in.
June 25 is the last date of submitting nomination papers. Given its strength in the Assembly, the BJP is set to win both the seats, especially as the election will be held separately as per the Election Commission's notification.
Upset over the Election Commissions notification, the Congress had moved the Supreme Court (SC) seeking its direction to the poll body to hold the elections to the two seats together, as this gives a chance to the opposition party to win at least one seat.
SC refused to entertain the plea.
For the two Rajya Sabha seats, the grand old party has fielded Gaurav Pandya and Chandrika Chudasama.
