Rajya Sabha Polls: BJP wins 8 in UP, Congress 3 seats in Karnataka
THE NEWS FREEDOM
SHIMLA/CHANDIGARH, FEBRUARY 27
In a significant blow to the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, despite holding a majority, it lost a Rajya Sabha seat to the BJP. Adding to the turmoil, six Congress MLAs left the state and, accompanied by BJP leaders, camped at Panchkula in Haryana, a state governed by the BJP, signaling a potential challenge to the Congress government. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu alleged that the BJP “abducted” the six Congress MLAs, with the CRPF and Haryana Police escorting them to Panchkula. This development raises concerns about the stability of the government.
Amidst the latest political developments, the BJP demanded the resignation of the Himachal Pradesh CM, citing the Congress-led government lacks a majority in the House following the defeat in the Rajya Sabha seat. BJP leader and former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur has decided to convene with the Himachal Governor tomorrow morning. Jairam Thakur emphasized the need for Sukhu to step down, highlighting the dwindling support for the Congress. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President JP Nadda, and Home Minister Amit Shah for the victory.
BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan clinched the seat by defeating Congress stalwart Abhishek Manu Singhvi through a draw of lots. Despite having only 25 MLAs compared to Congress’s 40 MLAs and three independent MLAs, the BJP secured victory with cross-voting from Congress members during the election. Six Congress MLAs and three independent MLAs supporting the government reportedly cast their ballots for the BJP, leading to this unexpected outcome.
Following the election defeat, Abhishek Manu Singhvi addressed the press conference, lambasting the BJP for what he described as a “new culture” in politics. Singhvi criticized the BJP’s decision to field a candidate against a party with 40 members, compared to its own 25, suggesting a dubious intention to win elections through any means necessary, particularly underhanded tactics.
In Uttar Pradesh, amidst concerns of cross-voting, the drama unfolded as SP chief whip Manoj Pandey resigned during polling. Additionally, eight SP MLAs skipped a meeting called by Akhilesh Yadav on Monday. The SP candidate, retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan, lost to BJP’s Sanjay Seth, an industrialist. Among the seven BJP candidates who emerged victorious were former Union minister RPN Singh, former MP Chaudhary Tejveer Singh, and general secretary of the party’s Uttar Pradesh unit Amarpal Maurya. Other successful BJP candidates included former state minister Sangeeta Balwant (Bind), party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, former MLA Sadhna Singh, and former Agra mayor Naveen Jain. SP’s actor-MP Jaya Bachchan secured another term, while Dalit leader Ramji Lal Suman secured the second seat for the party.
In Karnataka, where five candidates vied for four seats, Congress candidates clinched three seats: Ajay Maken, GC Chandrasekhar, and Syed Naseer Hussain, along with Narayansa K Bhandage of the BJP. However, the election was marred by cross-voting, with BJP MLA S T Somashekar casting his vote for Maken, and another party legislator, A Shivaram Hebbar, abstaining from voting. Reacting to the Congress winning three out of four Rajya Sabha seats, Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala praised the efforts and commitment of Congress legislators and supporting legislators, hailing the victory as a triumph for democracy, India, and the self-respect of Kannadigas.