New Delhi: In the biennial elections to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, thirteen candidates, including ten from the ruling NDA and three from the Samajwadi Party, were elected unopposed.
This election marked the formation of a leader of opposition in the council, as the Samajwadi Party now meets the requirement of having at least ten members in the 100-member council to hold this position, reported news agency PTI.
Notably, the BSP, with its lone member Bhim Rao Ambedkar retiring, will have no representation in the Upper House, as the Mayawati-led party chose not to field a candidate.
The elected candidates were also presented certificates, Special Secretary to the UP Vidhan Sabha B B Dubey told PTI.
The elected candidates were presented certificates by the Special Secretary to the UP Vidhan Sabha, B B Dubey. Among the elected members are former ministers Mahendra Singh and Ashok Katariya, Vijay Bahadur Pathak (state BJP vice-president), Santosh Singh, Mohit Beniwal, Ram Tirath Singhal (former mayor of Jhansi) and Dharmendra Singh.
Mahendra Singh, Ashok Katariya, and Vijay Bahadur Pathak have been re-elected for the second term.
Apart from these, three candidates of the NDA partners -- Ashish Patel of Apna Dal (Sonelal), Yogesh Chaudhary of Rashtriya Lok Dal, and Vichhelal of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) -- were also declared elected, the PTI report added.
SP candidates include senior party leader Balram Yadav, former MLA Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali and Kiranpal Kashyap.
The term of 13 members of the council is coming to an end on May 5 this year.
After the term of the newly elected members begins, the party position in the Upper House will be BJP-79, SP-10, Apna Dal (Sonelal)-1, NISHAD party-1, SBSP-1, RLD-1, Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik)-1, Teachers-1, Independent groups-2, and Independent-2, the PTI report added.
One seat is vacant after former SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya resigned.
With the addition of these newly elected members, the party distribution in the Upper House will see the BJP holding the majority, followed by other parties and independent candidates.