It’s big relief for BJP in UP
NEW DELHI: After the SPBSP political alliance claimed success over two bypolls in Phulpur and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, BJP chief Amit Shah managed to corner Mayawati-led Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), which stands to lose the race for one seat in the Upper House in a day.
Twenty-five-years after the erstwhile arch-rivals stood in the same platform eying to washout the saffron party and pulled off an incredible win for Samajwadi candidates in two BJP strongholds. As part of the quid pro quo, Akhilesh Yadav’s lawmakers are now to support Mayawati’s candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls.
Elections in 10 out of 31 Rajya Sabha seats are scheduled to hold on Friday and hence, Samajwadi Party supremo and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav called an important meeting at his residence in Lucknow on Wednesday morning. There are nine BJP candidates and one each from the SP and BSP. Each candidate from UP will require the support of 37 legislators. With 311 members in the assembly, and the SP with 47 members, should be able to snag one. The SP said it would give its extra 10 to help Mayawati’s BSP, which is short of votes with only 19 members. Along with one more from Ajit Singh’s party, the BSP can pull through. However, reportedly seven SP MLAS skipped the meeting called by Yadav.
Former SP leader Naresh Agarwal’s son and uncle Shivpal Yadav were among the absentees. Following the meeting there was a dinner organised in the evening, where the party claimed many of the absentees were present and the party is united under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav.
“Azam Khan and son did not attend, but their support is with us. Shivpal Yadav and two other MLAS are in touch with us and likely to vote for us,” SP source mentioned.
Last year, at least seven legislators close to Shivpal Yadav had voted in favour of the BJP’S nominee Ram Nath Kovind.
On the other hand, with two days left for voting for the biennial Rajya Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh, the BJP may heave a sigh of relief after successfully mollifying one of its allies in the state whose four votes could be crucial for the ruling party.
While the BJP has the numbers to send its eight candidates to the upper house, its ally Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), which has four MLAS in the 403-member UP Assembly, holds key to the success of its ninth nominee.
The BJP and its allies have 324 seats in the Assembly after the death of its Noorpur MLA in a road accident recently. To secure a win in this Rajya Sabha election, a candidate needs 37 first preference votes.
Thus, arithmetically, the BJP can easily win eight of the 10 seats and will be left with 28 surplus votes, with the SBSP now deciding to go with the BJP. “There can be some contest on the ninth seat,” a senior UP BJP leader said.
The SP and the BSP appeared confident to win one each of the remaining two of the 10 seats. The SP has fielded Jaya Bachchan and the BSP Bhimrao Ambedkar.the SBSP, which had skipped the first-year anniversary bash of the Yogi Adityanath government on March 19, yesterday announced that its MLAS would support BJP candidates after its leader met the saffron party’s chief Amit Shah in New Delhi.