Uttar Pradesh: In the upcoming Rajya Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has nominated prominent builder Sanjay Seth as its eighth candidate, making the election more interesting.
With three candidates from the SP and seven from the BJP already in the fray for the 10 seats, Seth’s entry has finalized the election.
Voting will take place on February 27 after the scrutiny of nomination papers on Friday. Each candidate needs 37 votes to win, raising concerns about cross-voting.
The candidates nominated for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats include Jayaa Bachchan, Alok Ranjan, and Ramji Lal Suman from the SP, and Sudhanshu Trivedi, RP Singh, Tejveer Singh, Sadhna Singh, Amar Pal Maurya, Sangita, and Navin Jain from the BJP.
BJP Pradesh adhyaksh said-
“मुझे विश्वास है कि पार्टी द्विवार्षिक चुनाव में अपने सभी उम्मीदवारों को राज्यसभा भेजेगी। हमारे पास विधानसभा में दो-तिहाई बहुमत है और बड़ी संख्या में लोग मोदी और योगी सरकार की नीतियों के साथ साथ देश की विकास यात्रा से प्रभावित हैं। । मुझे विश्वास है कि हम सभी आठ सीटें भारी अंतर से जीतेंगे।”
Sanjay Seth’s nomination by the BJP on Thursday adds further intrigue to the election. With sufficient majority, the BJP believes all its eight candidates will win, citing the impact of developmental work done by the Modi-Yogi government. BJP leaders, including state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, expressed confidence in Seth’s candidacy.
Sanjay Seth, a prominent industrialist and former close associate of Mulayam Singh Yadav and later Akhilesh Yadav, has deep ties within the SP. He was previously sent to the Rajya Sabha by the SP in 2016 and later joined the BJP in 2019, leading to his re-nomination to the Rajya Sabha from the vacant seat.
The BJP needs 296 votes to ensure victory for all its eight candidates, and it currently has the support of 277 MLAs along with allies. Despite some opposition MLAs expressing support for the BJP, cross-voting remains a concern.
The BJP’s strength lies in its incumbency advantage, potential support from opposition MLAs, and alliances with smaller parties. The decision of SP MLA Pallavi Patel to not vote for SP candidates further complicates the situation for the opposition. Despite Congress and other smaller parties’ support, the SP still needs two more votes.
In the current assembly, the party-wise distribution of seats is as follows: BJP – 252, SP – 108, Apna Dal (Sone Lal) – 13, RLD – 9, Nishad Party – 6, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party – 6, Congress – 2, Jan Adhikar Party Loktantrik – 2, BSP – 1, Vacant – 4.
