Raghuram Rajan prefers academics, declines AAP’s Rajya Sabha seat offer

New Delhi: Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has clarified that he would not take another break from academics to become a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Raja’s reaction came after reports on Wednesday said that the Aam Aadmi Party was looking to nominate the economist for the seat.

“While Professor Rajan is engaged in a variety of educational activities in India, he has no plans to leave his full-time academic job at the University of Chicago,” his office at the varsity said in a statement, according to NDTV.

The AAP had approached Rajan offering him the seat as the party might not nominate its own leaders to the Upper House.

An AAP leader, who did not wish to be identified, had said the party will not field any of its leaders for the three Rajya Sabha seats from Delhi that will fall vacant early next year.

With its brute majority of 66 in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, a victory looks certain.

Apart from Rajan, the party was also looking for an eminent jurist and a known person from the field of social service for the other two seats.

Rajan was not given an extension by the Modi government last year and returned to academics. In the past, he has aired his reservations about the note ban.

The move to not field any party leader to the Rajya Sabha is also seen as an attempt to put an end to the intra-party rivalry. Kumar Vishwas, who has aired his discontent against the leadership is known to be one of the strong contenders.

However, given his present equation with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal the chances of party sending to the Upper House him were slim.

"By not sending anyone from the party to the Rajya Sabha will not lead to a heartburn," the leader added.

Delhi sends three members to Rajya Sabha. Currently, the city-state is being represented by Janardan Dwivedi, Parvez Hashmi, Karan Singh, whose terms end in January next year.