BSP set to increase strength in UP legislative council

Lucknow, June 18 (UNI) The ruling Bahujan Samaj Party is set to increase its strength in the Uttar Pradesh legislative council following the by-elections to two seats from an assembly constitutency, slated on July five.

The by-polls were necessitated after the two seats fell vacant in the wake of the deaths of the Samajwadi Party's Vikramaditya Pandey and the BSP's B R Verma.

The term of the seat held by Mr Pandey expires on January 30, 2009 while that of Mr Verma on July 6, 2010.

Senior BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra and Swami Prasad Maurya, both ministers in the Mayawati cabinet, are likely to be fielded by the party in the by-polls.

Filing of nominations for the bypolls will start on June 25 and if required, the elections would be held on July five.

''As the BSP enjoys an absolute majority in the assembly, it will win both the seats as voting would be held separately for each seat,'' assembly officials here said.

In the Upper House at present, the ruling BSP has only 12 members while the SP has 38 and the BJP 24.

At present in the legislative council, the SP has the highest 38 members, followed by BJP-24, BSP-12, Congress -3, RLD-6, Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya)-2, Teachers group-9 and independents-4.

Three seats are vacant.

The Upper House of the state is constituted by 38 members from the assembly constitutency, 36 from local bodies,8 from teachers constituencies, 8 from Graduate constituencies and 10 are nominated.

UNI