BJP takes Rajya Sabha battle to the Opposition

AGGRESSIVE Party fields extra candidates in UP, Maha, Gujarat, counting on crossvoting

LUCKNOW/AHMEDABAD/MUMBAI/ NEW DELHI: The March 23 Rajya Sabha elections suddenly became more interesting with the Bharatiya Janata Party deciding to contest more seats than it is certain of winning, leveraging its excess votes and hoping that it can sway dissidents from some of the other parties to vote for its candidates.

Thus, it is looking for a ninth seat in Uttar Pradesh (where it is assured of 8), a fourth in Maharashtra (where it is assured of three), and a third in Gujarat (where it is assured of two).

The BJP’s aggression is certain to upset the math of its rivals, and possibly drive a wedge between potential alliances in some states.

Interestingly, the BJP’s push for an extra Rajya Sabha seat in UP came even as Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agrawal joined the saffron party after being denied another term in the Rajya Sabha by his own party. One of his aides Anil Agrawal is contesting the ninth seat in the state as a BJP candidate.

Naresh Agrawal said his son, a member of the UP assembly, would vote in favour of the BJP in the coming Rajya Sabha elections. The BJP’s aggression is based on the surplus votes it has in each state.

In Uttar Pradesh, where a Rajya Sabha candidate needs 37 votes to be elected, the BJP has 311 members (324 for the NDA). Of this, 296 votes will get 8 candidates elected. That leaves it with 18 extra votes. Party leaders say, on this basis, they need 10 more votes. They are hoping Naresh Agrawal’s “contacts” in other parties will help.

Interestingly, Anil Agrawal is one of the three candidates the BJP fielded on Monday, which means it has 11 candidates for nine seats.

It is likely two will withdraw and that Anil Agrawal will fight it out for the ninth seat.

In Gujarat, where the BJP is assured of two of its candidates winning, it has fielded a third, former state minister Kiritsinh Rana.