PM Manmohan Singh files Rajya Sabha papers from Assam

Singh,who was first elected to RS from a seat in Assam in 1991,has since been elected four times.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today filed his nomination papers for his fifth Rajya Sabha term from Assam.

Singh,80,submitted his papers before the Legislative Assembly Secretary G P Das in the Assembly premises.

The Prime Minister8217;s Upper House term expires on June 14 and polls for two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam will be held on May 30.

The notification for the elections was issued on Monday and the last date of filing nominations was May 20.

Prior to filing his nomination,he presided over a meeting of Congress Legislature Party in the Assembly.

Singh was accompanied by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi,Assam Pradesh Congress President Bhubaneswar Kalita and ministers Pradyut Bordoloi,Rakibul Hussain,Neelmani Sen Deka and Himanta Biswa Sarma.

A protest was held by media persons outside the Assembly for not being allowed to enter the premises to cover the event.

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As the media persons were protesting outside the Assembly gate,AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh,Kalita,the chief minister and several ministers came out to pacify them and asked them to go inside the premises as the Prime Minister had agreed to meet them.

The media personnel,however,refused to enter the gate following which the Prime Minister came out to address them. But as he began to speak,there was slogan-shouting and protests by them.

PM grateful to Assam for Rajya Sabha nomination

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed his gratitude to the people of Assam for making it possible for him to file nomination for the Rajya Sabha for the fifth time since 1991.

8220;I have come to file my nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha. Assam has done a great service to me by sending me to the Rajya Sabha. I cannot be grateful enough to the people of Assam,8221; Singh said in his brief interaction with the reporters here.

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8220;I have been an MP from Assam for 21 years. I shall endeavour to accelerate the development of Assam so that poverty and diseases are eliminated from the state in the next 10 years,8221; he said.

The Prime Minister8217;s Upper House term expires on June 14 and polls for two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam will be held on May 30.

80-year-old Singh arrived from Delhi this morning and wentstraight to the Legislative Assembly,where he held a meeting with the members of the Congress Legislature Party before filing his nomination.

After submitting his papers,the Prime Minister left immediately for Delhi.