Rajya Sabha: Polling Begins For High-Stakes Battle In UP, Himachal, Karnataka Amid Cross-Voting Fears

Uttar Pradesh has ten Rajya Sabha seats and eleven candidates. There are eight candidates from the BJP and three from the Samajwadi Party.

SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav, PM Modi, and Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi.

Source : PTI

Voting for the 15 Rajya Sabha seats across Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh begins on Tuesday. The voting will conclude at 4 pm, and the counting is scheduled to begin at 5 pm. Of the 56 Rajya Sabha seats up for grabs, 41 had already been elected as they were unopposed. In Uttar Pradesh, there are ten Rajya Sabha seats and both BJP and SP has fielded eleven candidates in total. Out of which, eight candidates are from BJP and three belongs to the Samajwadi Party. According to the statement issued by the leaders from both sides, the BJP is sure to win 8 seats, while the SP is confident of wining three. However, there are allegations that numerous MLAs may cross vote. 

To be elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh, a member must receive roughly 37 first choice votes. Voting for the ten Rajya Sabha seats will take place on Tuesday, and the results will be released the same day.

BJP Confident Of Winning 8 Seats In UP

The BJP seems optimistic in securing victory in 8 seats. Uttar Pradesh BJP President Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary said, "We have the support of Nishad Party, Suhel Dev Samaj Party, Apna Dal, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Jansatta Dal. I am confident all 8 NDA candidates will win."

"All eight candidates of BJP will win. Akhilesh Yadav has put forward a third candidate even though they don't have the numbers," Deputy CM KP Maurya was quoted as saying by ANI in its report. 

'We Hope All 3 Candidates Of SP Will Win': Akhilesh Yadav Amid Cross-Voting Fears

Ahead of the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav stated: "We hope all three candidates of Samajwadi Party will win. BJP can use all the tactics to win elections. BJP will do everything possible for victory. Some of our leaders who want personal gains can go to the BJP."

#WATCH | Lucknow, UP: Ahead of the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav says "We hope all three candidates of Samajwadi Party will win...BJP can use all the tactics to win elections. BJP will do everything possible for victory. Some of our… pic.twitter.com/30PbU2RIWY

— ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2024

Earlier, on Monday, some SP MLAs went missing from a dinner hosted by SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav. According to reports, at least 8 MLAs were missing from the meal, and the worry is that these lawmakers may boycott or vote against, resulting in the BJP securing its eighth seat in the state. The SP thinks that the BJP is exerting pressure on its MLAs to cross-vote in the Rajya Sabha polls.

"The government is creating pressure on the MLAs for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. This is how they work. They instil fear, threaten people, provoke agency action on them or take up any old case and pressurise them. All these will not work in this election," the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Monday.

While the NDA and SP-Congress were negotiating with other parties on Monday to get the requisite support for their candidates, the BJP gained traction when Raja Bhaiyya's Jansatta Dal-Loktantrik pledged to provide the party the support of two of its MLAs.

Karnataka: Potential for Cross-Voting?

In Karnataka, the ruling Congress party has relocated all of its MLAs to a hotel ahead of the biennial election to fill four vacancies. Five candidates are running: Ajay Maken, Syed Naseer Hussain, and G C Chandrasekhar (all from the Congress), Narayansa Bandage (BJP), and Kupendra Reddy (JD(S)). In response to concerns about cross-voting, both parties have issued whips to the MLAs who will vote on Tuesday.

Himachal Pradesh: BJP Objects To Congress' Whip

Similarly, in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress party sent a whip to all of its MLAs, urging them to vote for party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a move that the BJP said was intended to put pressure on the legislators. The BJP maintained that MLAs were elected democratically and had the freedom to vote as they like.

The Congress had a comfortable majority in Himachal Pradesh's Rajya Sabha elections, with 40 out of 68 MLAs and the backing of three independents.