UP’s seat No. 10 goes to the wire in RS elections
EXUN ENVOY WILL BE TRUMP’S THIRD NSA DURING HIS 15 MONTHS IN OFFICE
Counting of votes for 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh was delayed as the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party seeking cancellation of votes of legislators who did not show their vote to the polling agent.
They also objected to the procedure adopted by the returning office for conducting the polls saying that the jailed legislators were not allowed to cast their votes.
This was amid the claims that a BSP legislator had cross-voted in favour of the BJP as the opposition faced the challenge to win 10th seat, for which there is a keen contest.
While the ruling BJP is assured of eight of 10 Rajya Sabha seats for which voting was underway today, the Samajwadi Party has fielded Jaya Bachchan and
LUCKNOW/BENGALURU/RANCHI/ KOLKATA:
the BSP Bhimrao Ambedkar for the remaining two seats.
As the parties totted their numbers, BSP MLA Anil Singh indicated that he had cross-voted in favour of the BJP, saying “I am with Maharaj-ji”, a reference to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
The Unnao MLA’s vote could be crucial as it gives the BJP the edge in getting a ninth Rajya Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh.
The Allahabad High Court has denied permission to BSP’s Mukhtar Ansari, currently lodged in Banda jail, to vote in the Rajya Sabha elections.