Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was today elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Assam. The returning officer announced Singh’s election, fourth in a row since 1991, after Matang Sinh, a former Union Minister of State, withdrew his candidature in favour of the Prime Minister.

Kumar Dipak Das, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) nominee, was also declared elected unopposed for the other seat, as there was no third candidate for the two seats falling vacant next month. While Prime Minister Singh was re-elected against his own seat, Das was elected to the seat that fell vacant following the expiry of term of Indramoni Bora of the BJP.

Interestingly, while the Congress party was trying from the beginning to send Prime Minister Singh unopposed to the Rajya Sabha, the emergence of Independent candidate Matang Sinh did ring alarm bells in the main ruling party, especially with the Congress-led ruling alliance fearing that horse-trading will create hurdles for its nominee. Sinh has a history of getting elected in an election when the Congress party’s first nominee Naren Sharma lost due to cross voting.

“I have withdrawn my nomination in favour of the Prime Minister after repeated requests made by the AICC,” claimed Sinh. He said Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and several other top Congress leaders called him up during the past three days to withdraw in support of the PM. “I also got calls on behalf of Sonia Gandhi and the PM,” he added.

Sinh had earlier joined the fray as an Independent supported by ten Assam United Democratic Front MLAs led by perfume tycoon Badrudin Ajmal. “I had ensured support of as many as 37 MLAs, the minimum number required to win the second seat. But I withdrew in honour and support of the PM,” Sinh said.