Congress renominates Rashtrapal for RS from Gujarat

Rajya Sabha member Pravin Rashtrapal, who has been re-nominated by the Congress from Gujarat for the biennial elections to the Upper House, on Friday filed his nomination papers in Gandhinagar.

Rashtrapal, a Dalit community member, is seeking a second term and filed his papers in presence of Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president Arjun Modhvadia and CLP leader Shaktisinh Gohil.

"My priority will be to get more for Gujarat from the planning and finance commission. We are also concerned about electricity and water which the farmers are not getting here," Rashtrapal said after filing his papers.

"Another priority will be to make sure that work on Narmada canals, be completed at the earliest on Sardar Sarovar Dam. Also, we would push to declare Sardar Sarovar project as national project," he said.

Taking a dig at Arun Jaitely, he said, "The senior BJP leader should answer as to in the last 12 years how many times he has raised the issues of Gujarat in Rajya Sabha. Jaitely did not raise his voice during ban on cotton export," he said.

Jaitley is seeking a third term to the RS this time. "Electricity, water, road and recognition of agriculture as industry will be our priority and Centre and state should work together to resolve these issues," Rashtrapal added.