Polling for two Rajya Sabha seats from Assam will be held today with the victory of Prime Minister and Congress candidate Dr. Manmohan Singh certain in one of the seats.
According to reports, Dr. Singh's victory is certain as he is the only contestant for the first preference votes of 78 Congress MLAs in the 126-member assembly, while Santius Kujur of Congress and AIUDF's Aminul Islam are vying for the second seat.
Dr. Singh had earlier expressed his gratitude to Assam for sending him to the upper house and said that he would do all possible to accelerate the state's economy so as to eliminate poverty.
"Assam has done me a great honour by sending me to the Rajya Sabha. I am also deeply indebted to the people of Assam and will do all I can to accelerate the economy of the state to remove poverty in the next 10 years," Dr. Singh said.
Dr. Singh further said that he was here not as the country's Prime Minister, but as a candidate seeking re-election to the Rajya Sabha from Assam.
The Prime Minister's current term as Member of Parliament (MP) expires on June 16.
Dr. Singh, who was first elected to Rajya Sabha from a seat in Assam in 1991, has since been elected four times from Assam.