Rajya Sabha polls: Congress may field Sam Pitroda from Gujarat

Sam Pitroda had also served as chairman of the National Knowledge Commission from 2005 to 2009 and as an adviser to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Congress is likely to field technocrat Sam Pitroda as one of its two candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat, scheduled to be held on March 23. The last date for filing of nominations is March 12.

Pitroda, who is credited with telecom revolution in the country and worked as an adviser on technology missions to late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was actively involved in the last two Assembly elections in Gujarat as chairman of the party’s election manifesto committee. He had also served as chairman of the National Knowledge Commission from 2005 to 2009 and as an adviser to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The party is yet to officially announce its candidates. With a strength of 77 legislators in the Assembly, the party can win two of the four Rajya Sabha seats that have fallen vacant.