In a setback for Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party ahead of the voting for 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, its chief whip in the Assembly resigned this morning. Manoj Kumar Pandey, MLA from Unchahar, resigned hours after eight MLAs skipped a dinner hosted by Akhilesh Yadav amid concerns over cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election.
The party chief had called a meeting to brief the MLAs about the voting process of the Rajya Sabha elections. Manoj Pandey and seven other MLAs — Mukesh Verma, Maharaji Prajapati, Pooja Pal, Rakesh Pandey, Vinod Chaturvedi, Rakesh Pratap Singh and Abhay Singh — were absent.
This sudden development not only jeopardises the SP’s prospects in this crucial election but also exacerbates the party’s anxieties months ahead of the general election. With the SP slated to contest 63 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh as part of the INDIA alliance, any discord within the party before the polls would deal a severe blow.
Yadav has been accusing the BJP of pressuring the party’s MLAs. He explained this is BJP’s modus operandi. They instill fear, issue threats, exploit agencies, or dredge up old cases to exert pressure. However, these tactics will not sway this election, he said on Monday.
“We hope that all three Samajwadi Party candidates emerge victorious. The BJP may resort to any means to secure victory. Some of our leaders, motivated by personal gain, may defect to the BJP,” he lamented this morning.
A total of 56 Rajya Sabha seats became vacant this year, with 41 candidates elected unopposed. Of the remaining seats, 10 are in Uttar Pradesh, four in Karnataka, and one in Himachal Pradesh.
In the contest for the 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, there are 11 candidates vying for victory, with eight from the ruling BJP and three from the main Opposition Samajwadi Party. The BJP appears confident in the success of all its candidates, particularly after securing the support of the Jayant Chaudhary-led Rashtriya Lok Dal.
State BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary expressed confidence, stating, “We have garnered support from the Nishad Party, Suhel Dev Samaj Party, Apna Dal, Rashtriya Lok Dal, and Jansatta Dal. I am confident that all eight NDA candidates will emerge victorious.”
Earlier, BJP leaders had claimed to be in contact with a faction of SP legislators, a claim denied by the Akhilesh Yadav-led party. However, the absence of eight MLAs at last night’s dinner has left the main Opposition concerned.
SP MLA Zahid Baig said, “Many individuals were absent. Perhaps they were preoccupied. However, if they have accepted money for cross-voting, the public will not forgive them.”
The BJP’s eight candidates include former Union Minister RPN Singh, former MP Chaudhary Tejveer Singh, general secretary of BJP’s Uttar Pradesh unit Amarpal Maurya, former state minister Sangeeta Balwant (Bind), party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, former MLA Sadhna Singh, former Agra mayor Naveen Jain, and Sanjay Seth.
The SP has put forward actor-MP Jaya Bachchan, retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan, and Dalit leader Ramji Lal Suman as its candidates. While the BJP has enough support to secure victory for seven candidates, its decision to field an eighth has prompted a contest, which could be decisive if cross-voting occurs.
Voting will conclude at 4 pm, with counting scheduled to start at 5 pm. To get elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh, a candidate needs nearly 37 first-preference votes.
The BJP and the SP are the two largest parties in the 403-member state assembly, with 252 MLAs and 108 MLAs respectively. The Congress, an ally of the SP, holds two seats. BJP ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) has 13 seats, the NISHAD Party has six seats, RLD has nine seats, SBSP six, Jansatta Dal Loktantrik two, and the BSP has one seat, with four seats currently vacant.