By-polls to keep BJP top brass busy

Also, a buzz around the likelihood of a second expansion of the Yogi Adityanath government has started

LUCKNOW: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) top brass has a busy time ahead as it has to finalise possible candidates not just for the lone Rajya Sabha bye-poll on September 11, but a number of vacancies that would happen over the next few months in Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Parishad.

The Rajya Sabha by-election was necessitated by the death of Samajwadi Party MP Amar Singh and the election commission is scheduled to issue a notification for it on Tuesday.

By-polls for eight Vidhan Sabha seats, arising due to demise and disqualification of lawmakers, are also expected to take place over the next couple of months. With the 2022 UP polls a year-and-half away, the buzz around the likelihood of a second expansion of the Yogi Adityanath government has started, which some claim has been floated to keep dissidents interested.

Some lawmakers, not just from the opposition but from the BJP, have been ‘tweeting’ embarrassment for the government and providing an opportunity to the opposition to corner the ruling party. However, ten Rajya Sabha seats -- nine vacancies in the Rajya Sabha due by November 25, along with the September 11 RS bye-poll -- and the BJP’s numbers are keeping many party men interested, BJP leaders feel.

After the death of UP two ministers– technical education minister Kamal Rani Varun and home guards minister Chetan Chauhan – the Yogi government has been reduced to 54 ministers and now has six vacancies. The portfolios of Varun and Chauhan have still not been assigned to anyone and this is the reason why some lawmakers feel a surprise mini-expansion could be due.

“The Yogi ministry expansion will happen after some time but the buzz around it would keep the dissidents interested. In any case there is a long list of claimants for the eight assembly seats where bye-polls are expected anytime soon. So, technically right till early next year there are going to plethora of opportunities for accommodation and yes, there could be some surprises too,” a BJP leader said.

The eight Vidhan Sabha seats include Amroha, Kanpur (rural),

Deoria, Sadar, Tundla, Bulandshahr, Bangarmau, Malhani and Swar. “There is lobbying even for Swar assembly seat in Rampur, a bastion of Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan and thus you can well imagine the kind of interest people have on contesting on lotus symbol now,” a party leader said.

UP BJP general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal had spoken to cadres in Swar during the party’s recent booth-connect campaign and party leaders are hopeful of a surprise in Swar that was represented by Azam Khan’s son Abdullah Azam, who was subsequently disqualified.

The tenure of 11 MLCs of graduate and teachers’ constituency expired on May 6 and bye-elections are due here as well. Another 10 MLC vacancies would be created by January 30, 2021 and BJP, with numbers on its side, would be able to get majority of the seats. “Not just in UP, a ministry expansion at the centre, too, is being talked about and this also would offer more opportunity to UP leaders. The opposition might be raising caste issues to corner us but it knows several of its leaders are in touch with us,” a BJP leader said.