India news

Sachin Tendulkar has been offered a seat in India's upper house

The Indian government has recommended Sachin Tendulkar's name for nomination to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Parliament, ESPNcricinfo has learnt. Tendulkar met the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday and was offered a seat in the upper house's nominated category. He is understood to have accepted the offer and his name has now gone from the prime minister's office to the home ministry; it will then go to the office of the President, who formally names the candidate.

The nomination is for one of 12 seats in the Rajya Sabha that are reserved for those persons "having special knowledge or practical experience in

respect of such matters as literature, science, art and social service." If nominated, Tendulkar will be the first sportsman in this category; previous nominated MPs, who serve a six-year term, include the musician Ravi Shankar, the singer Lata Mangeshkar and the artist MF Husain.

Tendulkar's nomination is not expected to meet with much opposition, given his stature in India. The nomination has come from the ruling Congress party, which is currently fighting political battles on various fronts. Before meeting the prime minister, Tendulkar and his wife Anjali met the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who reportedly congratulated him on his hundred international centuries.

The reaction from the main opposition party, the BJP, was swift and unambiguous. The party's chief spokesperson, Ravi Shankar Prasad, said: "Sachin is a great player. We are proud of him. If Sachin is being nominated surely he will devote some time to Parliament."