Rajya Sabha Polls Today: Concerns Heighten As Shadow Of Cross-Voting Looms On 3 States

The Rajya Sabha biennial election is scheduled to take place on Tuesday. Out of 56 seats that are going for polls today, 41 candidates have secured their seats in the Upper House though the results will be announced formally on February 27.

But, apart from this, concern looms over the three seats in two Congress-ruled states and one in Uttar Pradesh. As per an NDTV report, cross-voting is expected by opposition MLAs for which the Congress and Samajwadi party are keeping a strict watch.

Polling will be held for 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, four in Karnataka and one seat in Himachal Pradesh from 9 am to 4 pm on Tuesday. The counting process will begin on the same day from 5 pm onwards.

In Karnataka, as a safety measure, the Congress has shipped off its MLAs to a “safe house” to prevent undue influences. Similarly, in Himachal Pradesh, the grand old party has issued a whip to its MLAs and this move has drawn sneers from the BJP.

Though the main opposition Samajwadi Party has claimed that all is well in Uttar Pradesh, sources have come out stating that at least 10 MLAs of the party are ready to cross-vote.

In Uttar Pradesh, BJP has fielded 8 candidates with the opposition SP with three for the Rajya Sabha seats. Initially, both parties fielded seven and three members respectively, unopposed to the Rajya Sabha.

But BJP fielded Sanjay Seth, a former SP member and industrialist as its eight candidates. To get elected, a candidate will need nearly 37 first-preference votes.
The election in UP has become interesting as the SP has stitched up an alliance with the Congress in the state.

The SP has fielded actor-MP Jaya Bachchan, retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan, and Dalit leader Ramji Lal Suman. But this decision has alienated its ally Apna Dal leader Pallavi Patel who earlier has said that she would not vote as she did not agree with the decision to field Ms Bachchan and Mr Ranjan.

The initial numbers that have ensured smooth sailing for the Congress in Karnataka are now at stake as the BJP-Janata Dal Secular alliance fielded their second candidate.

In Himachal, the candidate of the Congress is the party’s senior leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi. BJP has fielded its core committee member Harsh Mahajan against him. This election is slated to be a prestigious battle for the chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu who has taken over the reign of the state after last year’s assembly polls.

The term of office for 50 Rajya Sabha members from 13 states is set to conclude on April 2, while the remaining six members from two states are due to retire on April 3.