Horse trading is on the card as political activities in Uttar Pradesh have intensified with attempts being made to lure legislators of smaller parties and independents for the council elections slated for January 23. All the three parties — SP, BSP and BJP — have fielded one additional candidate than their actual strength. Elections for the biennial polls to 12 seats of the Uttar Pradesh legislative Council will be held on January 23 where 13 candidates are in fray. The last time voting for the council polls was held in 2008 when there were more candidates than the total number of seats. The ruling SP has fielded eight candidates, the BSP three and the BJP two candidates. The SP requires just eight additional votes for its eighth candidate BSP requires 13 additional votes for its third candidate while the BJP requires a hefty 21 additional votes for its second candidate.
Each candidate is required 31 first preferential votes to win the elections in the 403-member UP assembly. The SP has 230 members in the assembly followed by 80 of the BSP and 41 of the BJP. However, the 28 members of the Congress has the key to the council polls, as they have not fielded any candidate. Though the eight members of Rashtriya lok Dal have supported BSP candidates but silent revolt by the MlAs against the leadership could be a problem for the third BSP candidate.
The RlD leadership had convened a meeting in New Delhi over the Council polls in UP, but it was cancelled when around four legislators refused to accept the decision to support the BSP in the elections. As many as 14 MlAs from the BSP, Congress and the RlD reportedly have met the BJP vice-president and the general secretary in-charge Om Mathur to extend their support to two BJP candidates in the Council elections. Most of these MlAs belong to the upper castes, said a senior BJP leader. Sources said these MlAs’ support has come with a rider – they want an assurance of BJP ticket in 2017 assembly elections. Though BJP leadership has not taken any decision in this regard, its strategists are meeting the MlAs of the rival political parties to extract their unconditional support.
The BJP, having just 41 MlAs, has fielded two candidates in the Council elections, and is working overtime to get support from the rival parties. .The saffron party has fielded lakman Acharya and Daya Shanker Singh while candidates of Samajwadi Party are leader of the legislative Council and state Health Minister Ahmed Hasan, Ramesh Yadav of Etah, Sarojni Agarwal of Meerut (all three are re-nominated members), Ramjatan Rajbhar of Azamgarh, Saheb Singh Saini of Saharanpur, Ashok Bajpai of Hardoi, Virendra Singh Gujjar of Shamli and Ashu Mallick. The BSP had fielded leader of the Opposition in the Council Nasimuddin Siddiqui, Dharamveer Singh Ashok and Pradeep.The term of these seats is expiring on January 30.