Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, Olympics medal-winning boxer Mary Kom, former MP and cricket commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu, journalist Swapan Dasgupta, Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi, economist Narendra Jadhav have been nominated by the Prime Minister’s Office for the Rajya Sabha membership, reported ANI.
Reacting to the news, Kom said, “It is a great honour for me of course.”
Gopi was quoted by ANI as saying, “I will be orthodox but I will definitely be unconventional.”
I will be orthodox but I will definitely be unconventional: Suresh Gopi on being nominated for Rajya Sabha pic.twitter.com/DQpvPL7la1
— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2016
There are 12 seats of nominated members in Rajya Sabha of which seven are vacant at present.
Other five nominated members were nominated by the UPA government. They include bollywood actress Rekha, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, industrialist Anu Agha, lawyer K Parasaran, and senior advocate KTS Tulsi.
The nominated members will improve the NDA’s tally in the Upper House, where the ruling alliance lacks majority.
Biennial elections on as many as 54 seats is likely to be held in July this year.