RS: Deka rejects Mittal146;s nomination

Despite the party8217;s efforts to promote non-controversial candidates, the BJP top leadership attempted to nominate Pramod Mahajan acolyte and businessman Sudhanshu Mittal to the Rajya Sabha from Assam. However, the proposal was shot down, following stiff protest from the party8217;s Assam unit chief and a party General Secretary.

The proposal to field Mittal for one of the two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is contesting the other seat came from BJP President Rajnath Singh and former party chief Venkaiah Naidu at a BJP meeting yesterday. The BJP and the Asom Gana Parishad have a rotation agreement according to which, the BJP believes, it is now the party8217;s turn to field a Rajya Sabha candidate, a stand with which the AGP disagrees. BJP8217;s Parliamentary Party spokesperson Vijay Kumar Malhotra said Mittal8217;s name had been discussed, but a final decision on the BJP-AGP candidate would be taken tomorrow after discussions with the AGP. BJP8217;s Assam unit chief Ramen Deka is in the capital to finalise the name for the election scheduled for May 24.

Sources said the proposal to field Mittal took many parliamentary board members by surprise and due to stern objections the proposal was dropped. Mittal had been questioned by the police last year as it was alleged that he had destroyed evidence in the Rahul Mahajan drug case in which Pramod Mahajan8217;s former secretary Bibek Maitra had died and Rahul hospitalised. This, however, was not possible. Deka barely concealed his contempt for the move on fielding Mittal, saying he had only heard after arrival in Delhi that the businessman was seeking the party8217;s nomination for the Rajya Sabha seat. 8220;I know Mittal as he was President of the Delhi University Students8217; Union and is a BJP member. One section of the BJP leaders is floating this idea that Mittal could be a candidate. But neither has Mittal met me nor has he spoken to me about it,8221; Deka told The Indian Express.