Subhash Chandra files papers for Rajya Sabha polls from Rajasthan

Media baron’s surprise move sets up contest for one of the four seats in the State

In a surprise move, media baron Subhash Chandra filed his nomination papers as a candidate for election to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan on Tuesday, setting up a contest for one of the four seats in the State. Mr. Chandra is being supported by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in the Rajya Sabha polls.

Mr. Chandra, chairman of the Essel Group, is currently a Rajya Sabha member from Haryana. His term will expire on August 1. His entry into the fray will lead to a contest for the fourth seat, on which he will challenge Pramod Tiwari of the Congress.

The other candidates who filed their nomination papers from the State on Tuesday were Mukul Wasnik, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Mr. Tiwari from the Congress, and Ghanshyam Tiwari from the BJP.

BJP State president Satish Poonia said the party had decided to support Mr. Chandra as he was from Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region and could raise the voice of people of the State in the Upper House. “The contest is going to be interesting and its result will be good. The BJP is going to win two seats,” he said.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot flayed the BJP’s move and said the party wanted to indulge in horse-trading because it did not have the required numbers. “The BJP did the same 15 years ago but had to withdraw support to an independent candidate. They could not get the extra votes for which the candidate had made a promise,” Mr. Gehlot told reporters outside the State Assembly after the Congress nominees filed their nominations.

Mr. Gehlot said it was clear that the Congress was going to win three seats from the State. “I don’t know why the BJP has played the game... From where will they bring votes? They want to indulge in horse-trading, which is not a good tradition,” he said.