Tea tribe leaders want RS seat from Assam
Guwahati, Mar 14: Tea tribe legislators of ruling Congress, including ministers, today met Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi seeking one of the two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam that falls vacant later this year for the community's representative.
The tea tribe leaders, talking to reporters after calling on Mr Gogoi at his office in the state Assembly premise, said they have sought Congress nomination of a tea tribe leader for one of the two seats in the Upper House that will fall vacant this year.
"We have approached the chief minister with the request. He said he will recommend it to the party high command, which has the final say," senior Cabinet Minister and tea tribe leader Prithibi Majhi said.
Of the two seats in the Rajya Sabha from the state that will fall vacant in June, one is held by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The top Congress brass, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, had already reportedly held meetings with Mr Gogoi to ensure smooth re-election of Dr Singh.
The second seat is currently held by Kumar Deepak Das of Opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).
The ruling Congress, with a thumping majority of 79 in the House of 126 legislators, may field candidates for both the seats, though no official word is available yet.
However, it may refrain from contesting both seats to ensure that the prime minister's re-election does not run into any controversy.