Bhopal: Ahead of the crucial Rajya Sabha elections, two BSP MLAs, the lone SP legislator and two Independents attended a dinner at the Madhya Pradesh BJP office here on Wednesday in the presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and two Union ministers.
With their appearance at the MP BJP office ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in the presence of senior leaders, it is now clear they will vote for the BJP in the June 19 polls for the Upper House of Parliament, party sources said.
Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Prakash Javadekar were also present on the occasion.
Both BSP MLAs Rama Bai and Sanjeev Singh Kushwaha, lone SP MLA Rajesh Shukla, and Independent legislators Vikram Rana and Surendra Singh Shera were seen in photos with senior BJP leaders at the dinner.
The photos were released by the ruling after these MLAs met the central leaders at the BJP office here.
Polling, where MLAs will cast their votes, will be held on Friday for three vacant Rajya Sabha seats, for which four candidates are in the fray.
The BJP has fielded former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who joined the saffron party in March, and ex- professor of a government college, Sumer Singh Solanki.
The opposition Congress, which was ousted from power three months ago, has fielded former chief minister Digvijaya Singh and Dalit leader Phool Singh Barraiya.
For winning a seat in the Rajya Sabha polls, a candidate needs 52 votes.
As per the present House strength of the two parties, the BJP is set to win two seats as it has 107 MLAs of its own and can count on support of two BSP MLAs, one of the SP and two Independents as of now, the sources said.
Two other Independent MLAs, Pradeep Jaiswal and Kedar Dabar, are also expected to throw their weight behind the saffron outfit, they said
The two Union ministers will address BJP legislators on Thursday at the party office here ahead of voting.
The Congress is left with 92 MLA after 22 of its legislators, including six ministers, resigned in March along with Scindia.
Thus, the Congress will be able to win just one seat out of the three, the sources added.