New Delhi/Lucknow: In what could be termed as perhaps the biggest development in one of the most politically charged states of India—Uttar Pradesh—the ruling BJP has given a berth to Mayawati’s BSP in the run up to the Rajya Sabha elections. The Rajya Sabha elections scheduled to be held on November 9 appear to have unravelled the changing political dynamics in Uttar Pradesh. The Bahujan Samaj Party, despite not having the numbers, has fielded a candidate, Ramji Gautam for the Rajya Sabha. His victory won’t be possible without the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party which has fielded nine candidates against the 10 at stake.
The party will be left with some spare votes which could be transferred to the BSP. Mayawati is also counting on votes from some other opposition parties. This tacit understanding between the BJP and BSP led six of BSP legislators to revolt against the party. Four of the ten BSP legislators who proposed Gautam’s candidature informed the Returning Officer that their signatures were forged.
MLAs got in touch with Akhilesh Yadav
Their claims were found untrue. Later these MLAs got in touch with Akhilesh Yadav, president of the Samajwadi Party, fuelling rumours that they will climb down the elephant to go astride a cycle. Mayawati was not amused by her MLAs rebelling against the party candidate and getting in touch with the Samajwadi Party. Hitting out at the SP chief, Mayawati said that the BSP will go all out to defeat the SP even if it required “siding with the BJP”.
Accusing the SP of being anti-Dalit, Mayawati vowed to ensure the defeat of the party’s candidate “even if our MLAs have to vote for the BJP or any other candidate”. The BSP, which has been keeping a soft stance towards the BJP, could change the political equation in Uttar Pradesh in 2022.
What poll analysts feel?
With the BJP having 304 members in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the November 9 election for 10 Rajya Sabha seats from the state may turn out to be a nearly one sided affair for the party, feel poll analysts. The BJP’s all eight nominees for Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh are likely to win as the party has the three fourth majority in the state assembly. The ten Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh falling vacant are three of BJP, four of Samajwadi party, two of Bahujan Samaj Party and one of the Congress. The BJP’s candidates for Rajya Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh include Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, party’s general secretary Arun Singh and Neeraj Shekhar. All three are sitting MPs. Besides them, other five candidates are Geeta Shakya, Haridwar Dubey, Brijlal, BL Varma and Seema Dwivedi.