Voting is presently underway for 15 Rajya Sabha seats across three states: Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh. here are elections on 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 4 in Karnataka and one seat in Himachal Pradesh. There is a possibility of cross voting in all three states. The reason is – 18 candidates are in the fight for 15 seats.
There are 56 vacant Rajya Sabha seats in 15 states, out of which candidates have been elected unopposed on 41 seats in 12 states. The voting commenced at 9 a.m. in the upper house, with vote counting scheduled to start at 5 p.m.
Uttar Pradesh
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has nominated 8 candidates, while the Samajwadi Party has fielded 3 candidates for the ten available Rajya Sabha seats. Despite having enough numbers to secure seven members unopposed, the candidacy of Sanjay Seth has introduced the possibility of a competitive contest for one seat. The key focus lies in the number of first preference votes each candidate receives, with the crucial figure being 37. To clinch a Rajya Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh, a candidate needs approximately 37 first-preference votes.
Samajwadi Party MLA and leader Manoj Kumar Pandey resigned from his position, stating, “The people have entrusted me with the vote multiple times… In politics, one must endure all sorts of accusations. I have been nominated by the people, and my priority remains serving them.”
Following a meeting with the SP MLA, UP Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh suggested that the SP MLA was a supporter of Sanatan Dharma.
Previously, another Samajwadi Party MLA, Rakesh Pratap Singh, hinted at the possibility of voting against the party, emphasizing that while he holds no animosity towards his party, he will heed his conscience before casting his vote.
“We anticipate that our MLAs who are in communication with the Bharatiya Janata Party and those considering its advantages will align with the BJP. They are being enticed by the BJP camp,” stated SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.
On Monday, several SP legislators were absent from a dinner hosted by SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav. Reports suggest that at least eight MLAs were missing, raising concerns that they might abstain from voting or engage in cross-voting, both scenarios potentially benefiting the BJP in securing its eighth seat in the state.
In the afternoon, a news came that 7 SP MLAs in UP have voted for NDA. These MLAs are Rakesh Pandey, Rakesh Pratap Singh, Abhay Singh, Vinod Chaturvedi, Manoj Pandey, Pooja Pal and Ashutosh Maurya. There is talk of Congress MLA switching sides in favor of BJP in Himachal.
Media reports claim that BJP MLA ST Somashekhar in Karnataka voted for the Congress candidate. BJP Chief Whip Doddangowda G Patil gave this information. Doddanagouda also said that action will be taken against Somashekhar.
Karnataka
In Karnataka, the Congress has relocated all its MLAs to a hotel ahead of the biennial election to fill four vacancies. There are 5 candidates vying for these seats, including Ajay Maken, Syed Naseer Hussain, and GC Chandrasekhar from Congress, Narayansa Bhandage from the BJP, and Kupendra Reddy from JD (S). With all parties issuing whips to their MLAs, concerns about cross-voting have surfaced.
As per Election Commission officials, 214 MLAs in Karnataka have cast their votes for the four Rajya Sabha seats as of 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
Cross-voting
According to BJP chief whip Doddanagouda G. Patil Karnataka, MLA ST Somashekar has cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha elections in favor of the Congress. In response to the big setback for the BJP, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said cross-voting isn’t possible in his party. “Let them keep their (BJP’s) MLAs intact. Cross-voting is only possible in the BJP, not in Congress,” he said.
Meanwhile, Doddanagouda G. Patil said the party will take action against the MLA. “It is confirmed that ST Somashekar has cross-voted. We are discussing what can be done and what action to take,” he said.
Before casting the vote, Somashekhar made a cryptic remark. “I will vote in favor of those who assure me and give confidence that they will give funds for the water and other management in my constituency,” he said.
Demise, Retirement
The Congress holds 133 MLAs, excluding the Speaker, while the BJP and JD(S) have 66 and 19 lawmakers, respectively, in the 223-member House. There are four members from other parties. However, the recent demise of a Congress MLA occurred on Sunday.
The Rajya Sabha seats became vacant due to the retirement of four members, including Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar (BJP) and Congress representatives G. C. Chandrashekhar, Syed Naseer Hussain, and L. Hanumanthaiah.
The ruling party in the state has nominated G. C. Chandrashekhar, Naseer Hussain, and former Union Minister Ajay Maken. Meanwhile, the BJP has nominated Narayana Bhandage, in addition to JD(S) candidate D Kupendra Reddy, as the NDA candidate.
FIR against D Kupendra Reddy
An FIR has been filed against JD(S) leader D Kupendra Reddy and his associates at the Vidhana Soudha police station in Bengaluru, former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy confirmed on Tuesday. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also affirmed that an FIR has been lodged for “threatening” Congress MLAs regarding the Rajya Sabha elections.
Himachal Pradesh
Polling for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh concluded at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, with Congress MLA from Chintpurni Sudershan Babloo casting the final vote. All 68 members participated in the brisk polling. An independent MLA from Hamipur, Ashish, was the first to cast his vote. Congress MLA Babloo, who was unwell, was brought to the Assembly in a helicopter.
Meanwhile, in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress has issued a whip directing all its MLAs to vote for the party’s candidate, Abhishek Manu Singhvi. This move has drawn criticism from the BJP, which argues that legislators have the right to vote according to their preferences.
The Congress has 40 MLAs compared to the BJP’s 25; however, the election is perceived as a prestige battle for Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
Cross-Voting
The BJP on Tuesday claimed that Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has lost majority amid reports that several Congress MLAs had cross-voted in the election for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from the state. TV reports claim as many as 9 Congress MLAs may have cross-voted in favor of BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections.
Leader of opposition in the state and former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur said that the budget is to be presented tomorrow (February 28). “Then we will see what the situation is. I think the government has lost majority,” he said.
Overall Update
Out of 56 seats, 41 candidates have already been elected unopposed. The list includes former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, BJP chief JP Nadda, and Ashok.
Rajya Sabha MPs are elected by MLAs using the single transferable vote (STV) system. The ruling BJP currently holds 28 of the 56 seats and is expected to have at least 29 after the election. In Uttar Pradesh, the India bloc is projected to gain one seat as the SP is expected to increase its tally from one to two seats.
Presently, the Rajya Sabha has 245 members, with a term of six years for Upper House MPs. Elections are held every two years for 33% of the seats.
