Union minister for commerce and industry Anand Sharma and BJP nominee Ram Jethmalani, noted lawyer, were among the five candidates who today filed their nomination papers for the biennial Rajya Sabha and a bye-poll of RS-biennial poll slated for June 17 in Rajasthan.

Two Congress candidates Ashaq Ali Tak and Narendra Budhaniya and BJP's V P Singh also filed their nomination papers at Vidhan Sabha's election office, an official spokesman said.

Rajya Sabha biennial polls will be held for four posts falling vacant after term completion of Najma Heptuallah, Lalit Kishore Chaturvedi, Narendra Budhaniya, Santosh Bagdodiya, and one bye poll of Rajya Sabha seat fell vacant after death of BJP's K K Valmiki.

Congress has fielded three candidates, while BJP has field two candidates as the last date of filing nominations ends this afternoon. The scrutiny of papers will take place tomorrow and the last date of withdrawal is June 10.

When asked what would be his political priorities, Jethmalani said, "I want to get rid of water scarcity as it would be the biggest problem of the world in the coming days.

The next world war could be on water, not on nuclear issue, and Rajasthan is striving for water since time immemorial."

Poverty and corruption eradication would be the next priorties on my agenda, he said.

When asked why he had agreed to represent Beant Singh's uncle Kehar Singh and the other alleged conspirator Balbir Singh in the Indira Gandhi assassination case, Jethmalani said, "Maine Peshe se apna dharm nibhya hai (I was stick to my ideals of profession)and I have been a founder BJP member".

"Mujhe Rajya Sabha MP ka ticket dena BJP ka vichar hai (It was BJP's thought to give me RS MP ticket), I am party worker though. I did have personal difference of thoughts with A B Vajpayee, and had contested LS polls against him," he reiterated.

BJP general secretary Vasundhara Raje, who accompanied Jethmalani, said the Congress chief minister Ashok Gehlot was left with no choice but to just field only two candidates for three biennial and one for bye-poll to RS biennial.

"I hope there would be no horse trading of MLAs as five candidates filed their papers for five seats. BJP has not fielded its candidate for the bye-poll post," Raje said.

In the house of 200 MLAs, the ruling Congress has a strength of 102, BJP 79, CPI-M 3, JDU-1, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party 1, SP one and Independents 13 (out of which ten are supporting Congress).