New Delhi: Union Ministers Birender Singh and Suresh Prabhu have been nominated by BJP for Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana.
The two Ministers, who were inducted in the Union Cabinet following its expansion on October 27, are not members of Parliament. They are required to be an MP within six months of being a Minister.
With BJP getting absolute majority in Haryana Assembly in recent elections, it is assured of getting both the seats unopposed, helping further raise the party's strength in the Upper House where it does not enjoy a majority. BJP at present has only 43 seats in Rajya Sabha.
Birender Singh was earlier a Rajya Sabha member of Congress from Haryana but quit his seat to join BJP ahead of assembly elections in Haryana.
“The Central Election Committee has decided to nominate the names of Chaudhary Birender Singh and Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu for the byeelection to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) of Haryana,” Secretary of BJP's Central Election Committee and national general secretary J P Nadda said.
The seats had fallen vacant after Birender Singh resigned from his seat on August 28 and Ranbir Singh Parjapati of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) quit on November 1.
The terms of the two Ministers will be till August 1, 2016.
The Election Commission has already notified the bye-election to the Council of States from Haryana. As per the schedule, the last date for filing of nominations is November 25 and polling, if required, will be held on December 5 and the results declared on the same day.
