Bollywood actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar is all set to be unanimously elected as Rajya Sabha member from Uttarakhand with no other candidate remaining in the fray on the last date of filing of nomination on Tuesday. With BJP keeping out of the election, Babbar’s election, though certain, would have to wait till March 13 for official announcement — the last date for withdrawal of nominations.
The high command having taken the final call on Monday night, the speculation that had been buzz with for sometime now has been put to rest. Former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and the PCC president Kishore Upadhyaya being the front-runners, stakes were high, given the faction-ridden State of the party in Uttarakhand. The seat had fallen vacant in February following the demise of Manorama Dorbriyal Sharma. The election would be held on March 20.
Raj Babbar filed his nomination in the presence of all heavyweight leaders like CM Harish Rawat, PCC president Upadhyaya, Cabinet Minister and former PCC president Yashpal Arya, Harak Singh Rawat, Indira Hridayesh, Preetam Singh and some MlAs. However, Bahuguna was conspicuous by his absence. Raj Babbar expressed his gratitude towards the AICC president Sonia Gandhi, vice- president Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Harish Rawat after the nomination filing was over.
Dwelling on his priority as a member of the Upper House, he said he will raise issues related to development of Uttarakhand which is yet to recover from the loss June 2013 calamity wreaked on it. He further said he was not new to the State. “As a Bollywood actor, I have visited the State several times and some projects in Pithoragarh district came up at my initiative. However, it could not take off for some reasons. Now, I would do something,” he said.
“Development is a basic problem in the State. More so, things received a major setback in 2013. The disaster almost wiped out in one cataclysmic blow whatever development the State had seen over the years since its inception. Thus, development would be my watchword,” he said, adding that he would appeal to the Union Government to go extra mile in boosting development of the State that is still living under the shadow of the horrendous calamity.
BJP with 28 MlAs on its side would not seek to queer the pitch of the actor, said the State BJP president Teerath Singh Rawat while talking to The Pioneer. “We have not the number,” he said. Congress has 35 MlAs in the 70-member Uttarakhand Assembly aside from enjoying support from the six PDF members. PDF strength was reduced from seven to six following the death of the Cabinet Minister and BSP MlA Surendra Rakesh in February.