It’s official, Yechury for RS

The Left Front State Committee on Thursday unanimously nominated Sitaram Yechury for a second term in the Rajya Sabha. Initially, it was decided that Yechury will file his nomination papers on Thursday. Left Front Chairman Biman Bose refused to confirm any possible date. Yechury will be the lone candidate of the Front from West Bengal this time, party sources said here. After the drubbing in the Assembly polls in May, the CPM is sure of securing just one of the six Rajya Sabha seats for which the elections are to be held on on July 22. Going by legislative arithmetic, the ruling Trinamool Congress-Congress combine can win five seats and Left parties one.

In the 294-seat Assembly, the CPM has just 39 members, three short of the required 42 votes. It will, therefore, have to depend on the Front partners to bag the seat. The Rajya Sabha terms of five LF leaders — Sitaram Yechury, Brinda Karat, Mohammad Amin of CPM and Abani Roy of RSP, besides Trinamool Congress' Swapan Sadhan Bose — will end on August 18. The sixth seat has been lying vacant since the death of Independent Arjun Sengupta, who was backed by the Left and Congress in September 2010. ENS

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