New Delhi, June 01: The Congress high command on Monday cleared the name of former petroleum minister and Gandhi family loyalist Satish Sharma for a Rajya Sabha berth from Uttar Pradesh.
The party is also expected to approve the re- nomination of environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh and J. D. Seelam from Andhra Pradesh, and Oscar Fernandes as well as B. K. Hariprasad from Karnataka.
While Sudarshan Natichiappan is likely to get the berth from Tamil Nadu, commerce minister Anand Sharma is tipped to be inducted into the Upper House from Haryana or Rajasthan. Information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni is likely to make it from Punjab and the name of former union minister Suresh Pachauri is doing the rounds for the lone seat from Madhya Pradesh.
Fourteen states will elect 57 MPs to the Upper House in this biennial exercise on June 11. The rough breakup is: Uttar Pradesh ( 11), Andhra Pradesh ( 6), Maharashtra ( 6), Tamil Nadu ( 6), Bihar ( 5), Karnataka ( 4), Rajasthan ( 4), Madhya Pradesh ( 3), Orissa ( 3), Chhattisgarh ( 2), Punjab ( 2), Jharkhand ( 2), Haryana ( 1) and Uttarakhand ( 1).
The last date for the withdrawal of nominations is June 4. The high command is expected to clear the names of nominees in a day or two.
The Congress, which has just 21 seats in the UP assembly, had to seek the support of the 14- member RLD led by Ajit Singh, the SP and independents to get Satish elected. He was earlier a member of the Rajya Sabha from Uttarakhand.
Apart from Ramesh and Seelam, the Congress can get two more of its nominees elected from Andhra. Former Union minister Renuka Choudhury, who lost the Lok Sabha polls in 2009, senior leader V. Hanumantha Rao and two media barons are lobbying for these seats.
The Congress can get two seats in Maharashtra. Those canvassing for berths are former MP Rajani Patil, former Union minister Balasaheb Vikhe Patil and former state minister Rohidas Patil.
—Agencies