Union Minister for Commerce Nirmala Sitharaman filed her nomination for the vacant Rajya Sabha seat from Andhra Pradesh here on Saturday.
The RS seat will go to polls on July 3. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and senior BJP leaders from both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were also present as she submitted her papers to the Legislature secretary.
The Telugu Desam Party, an ally in the BJP-led NDA government, is supporting her candidature. The TDP-BJP alliance has a strength of 107 members in the 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly.
The last date for filing of nominations is June 23, withdrawal June 26. Election will be conducted if there is a competition. Sitharaman is expected to be elected unopposed as the main Opposition YSRC is not inclined to contest the by-election.
The election was warranted due to the death of sitting RS member N Janardana Reddy of the Congress.
Published 21 June 2014, 20:36 IST