Vora, Judeo set to be elected unopposed for RS

Raipur, January 28

Veteran Congress leader Motilal Vora and BJP leader Ranvijay Singh Judeo filled nomination papers for Rajya Sabha elections from Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. Considering strength of Congress and BJP members in State assembly, Vora and Judeo are likely to be elected unopposed.

Vora, an AICC treasurer and close to party’s first family, has filled nomination for third time in a row for the Upper House of the parliament.

Earlier, it was rumoured that the party was planning to send former Delhi CM Sheila Dixit to RS from Chhattisgarh as State congress had requested Vora to contest ensuing general elections from his home-place Durg constituency. The party vice president Rahul Gandhi too had no objection over Vora’s name for Lok Sabha polls, but the octogenarian leader rejected the offer due his poor health conditions.

In BJP, Judeo’s name was finalised in the last minute when the State unit cautioned the central leadership not to impose any outsider on Chhattisgarh for RS berth as any such move would create negative repercussions in LS polls. Earlier, BJP chief Rajnath Singh had hinted that he might give RS ticket either to party vice president SS Ahluwalia or some other party leader who does not belong to Chhattisgarh.

It is learnt that the party had first agreed over the name of State unit’s organisational general secretary Rampratap Singh but it changed its decision when it received negative feedback about him from Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). Sources informed that CM Raman Singh tried to convince Sangh for Rampratap’s candidature, but failed to do so.

The State unit then proposed Judeo’s name. Judeo had earlier expressed desire to contest LS polls from Bilaspur, the constituency from where his uncle late Dilip Singh Judeo had won in 2009. The party, however, persuaded Judeo to have his say in the RS as it did not want to take risk by pitting the rookie Jashpur scion from Bilaspur – the constituency from where Congress is likely to pose tough challenge by fielding strong candidate.

Judeo is credited to have worked hard to uphold BJP’s reputation in tribal-populated Jashpur district after his uncle’s demise as he led the party to win all the three assembly seats in recent polls. More importantly, his poll management helped the party to dent Congress stronghold Paththalgaon from where veteran Congress leader Rampukar Singh had won past seven assembly polls.