Hectic political activity in UP for 10 RS, 13 Council seats

Lucknow, Mar 7: Hectic political activities have begun for the crucial biennial elections to ten Rajya Sabha and 13 state Legislative Council seats to be held on March 28.

Polling process for the Rajya Sabha and Council seats would begin on Friday next after issuance of notification though all political parties have started discussions within the party to select candidates for the elections.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) sources here today said the RS elections would be a testing ground for the ruling alliance as it might witness cross voting by the rebel BSP MLAs, who joined the Samajwadi Party in September 2003. Out of the total 38 such MLAs, five have already switched over to the BSP last week.

On the other hand, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, the main alliance partner of the SP, had already demanded one RS and two Council seats.

The ruling Samajwadi Party with the help of its allies Rashtriya Lok Dal and other smaller parties were set to win 6 out of the ten RS seat, the BJP aims at getting two seats and the BSP one.

As per the the assembly strength, the SP and its alliance have 235 members (SP-194, RLD-15, CPI(M)- 2, Loktantrik Congress-2, Akhil Bharatiya Congress-1, Unattached-5 and Independent 16) while the BJP has 83, BSP 67 and Congress 16. One seat is vacant.

A candidate has to get 37 first preferential votes for the Rajya Sabha elections.

Similarly in the 13 Council seats at stake , the ruling alliance can win 8 seats while the BJP and BSP can take away two seats each.

For winning the council seat, a candidate have to receive 29 first preferential vote.

The ten RS members who would be retiring on April 2 , are Mr Janeshwar Mishra and Mr Sachinnand Hari Sachi Maharaj (both SP), Mr Kalraj Mishra, Mr Ramnath Kovid, Mr Balbir Kumar Punj, and Mr Ram Baksh Singh Verma (all BJP), Mr Ghanysham Chandra Kharwar and Mr Dara Singh Chauhan (both BSP), Mr Rajiv Shukla( Akhil Bharatiya Loktrantrik Congress and Mr M M Agarwal (Independent).

Of the ten retiring RS members,Mr Janeshwar Mishra and Mr Kalraj Mishra are set to be renominated by their respective parties.

The nominations for both the biennial polls would start on March 10 and continue till March 17. Scrutiny of nomination papers would be held on March 18 and candidates can withdraw their nominations till March 20.

Polling would be held on March 28 from 1000 hours to 1500 hours and counting of votes would be taken up thereafter.

In the last RS bi-ennial polls held on June 21,2004, out of the total 11 seats at stake, four candidates of the SP got elected which included film star Jaya Bachchan. Other prominent candidates who were elected included industralist Anil Ambani, hotelier Lalit Suri, BJP leaders Mr Arun Shourie and Mr Murli Manohar Joshi and BSP president Mayawati.

The 10 RS seats will fall vacant on April 2, while the terms for the Council seats would expire on May five.

UNI