Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw submits nomination for Rajya Sabha polls

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology, on Thursday filed his nomination paper as a BJP candidate for the third Rajya Sabha seat from Odisha.

Accompanied by Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal and 13 party MLAs, Vaishnaw submitted his papers to Rajya Sabha Election Returning Officer Abanikanta Patnaik in the Odisha Assembly premises. He submitted two sets of paper, an official said.

The Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal on Wednesday announced its unconditional support to Vaishnaw’s candidature, as it had done in 2019.

Immediately after nomination, Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information Technology, said, “I thank my party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving me another chance to serve the state of Odisha from Rajya Sabha.

“I pray before Lord Jagannath that he gives me more energy and motivation to serve Odisha even better. I will work uninterruptedly like the squirrel of Lord Ram and will not cease to work until Odisha becomes a developed state as envisioned by PM Modi”.

The tenure of Vaishnaw will end in April this year.

According to notification issued by the Assembly secretariat, the polling for the Rajya Sabha elections will be held on February 27 between 9 am and 4 pm. The counting of votes will be held on the very day at 5 pm.

CT Bureau