Asom Gana Parishad names Assam's Birendra Prasad Baishya for Rajya Sabha polls

Assam's Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) name Birendra Prasad Baishya as its candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from the state.

Baishya is currently serving as a member of the Rajya Sabha, with his tenure set to expire on June 14.

Earlier this week, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced the schedule for conducting biennial elections in eight Rajya Sabha seats, six from Tamil Nadu and two from Assam.

On Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) named Kanad Purkayastha, son of former Union Minister and Assam State BJP co-founder Kabindra Purkayastha, as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha election in the state.

The two upper house members from Assam, Mission Ranjan Das (BJP) and Birendra Prasad Baishya (Asom Gana Parishad), are set to retire on June 14.

According to ECI, the elections for the Rajya Sabha seats will be held on June 19 between 9 AM and 4 PM. Counting of votes will be conducted on the same day.

In Tamil Nadu, Anbumani Ramadoss (Pattali Makkal Katchi), M Shanmugam (DMK), N Chandrasegharan (AIADMK), M Mohamed Abdulla (DMK), P Wilson (DMK), and Vaiko (MDMK) are set to retire on July 24.

Earlier, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) Chief Kamal Haasan filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu in the presence of Chief Minister MK Stalin.

Meanwhile, BJP leader H Raja criticised MNM President Kamal Haasan, saying that the actor-turned-politician has "mortgaged" his party to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in exchange for a Rajya Sabha seat.