Now, Rajya Sabha seat for Sachin?

It was learnt that Congress wanted to nominate Sachin Tendulkar for Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament.

Zeenews Sports Bureau

New Delhi: India’s legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar may soon be a Member of Parliament. The 39-year-old batting maestro has been recommended to be a member of the Rajya Sabha along with former Bollywood actress Rekha. Sachin’s Life: In Pics» I Master’s Best Knocks The two celebrities are among four eminent persons who have been chosen for the prestigious honour, according to reports on Thursday. The Congress party will propose the name of the cricketing icon for a berth in the Upper House. The two of them are likely to become members of Parliament under a provision of the constitution that allows the President to nominate 12 members to the Upper House. There is no word from the government on who the other two are who have been nominated. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sent a communication to the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday which has been sent to President Pratibha Patil for notification, sources said. Article 80 of the Constitution provides for nomination of persons having special knowledge or practical experience in matters such as literature, science, art and social service. 57-year-old Rekha was one of the top heroines of the 80s in Hindi films and had won several national awards in her acting career. The Little Master who turned 39 on Tuesday, has scored 51 centuries from 188 Tests and 49 tons from 463 ODIs he has played so far in his international career spanning nearly 23 years. Meanwhile, as per reports by a TV channel, Sachin Tendulkar has accepted his nomination for Rajya Sabha. But there was no official confirmation of the same. Tendulkar's nomination to the Upper House has come as a surprise to many. Nonetheless, the chorus to confer him with the Bharat Ratna for bringing laurels to the country has been doing the rounds for long. People from all walks of life, from politicians to sportsperson to movie stars have been demanding that he be bestowed with the highest honour in the country. With Sachin still going strong and retirement not in the offing for the time being, it will be interesting to see whether the batting legend can take out time to attend the Parliament. The duration of the membership of the Rajya Sabha is for six years. A nominated member can also associate himself with a political party in the House provided he gives a declaration within six months. Meanwhile the BCCI welcomed Sachin’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha, saying that the iconic batsman deserves such an honour. BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Prof Ratnakar Shetty said that the Board was happy with the government's move. "We (BCCI) are happy that Tendulkar's services as a sportsperson has been recognised. He's been a true ambassador for the country and he deserves it," he said. With PTI inputs