NewDelhi: The voting for Rajya Sabha elections for 25 seats is currently underway across six states – Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. The polling began on Friday morning. Counting of votes will commence at 5 pm, with the results expected to be declared by Friday evening.
Reports of cross-voting is emerging, with BSP MLA Anil Singh claiming to vote for BJP.
For these 25 seats, PM Modi-led BJP government is virtually assured of eight of the ten seats amid suspense whether it can snatch an extra seat in the light of the newfound bonhomie between former arch rivals Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.
For the 58 Rajya Sabha seats, 33 candidates from 10 states have already been declared elected unopposed on March 15, 2018. Seven union ministers including Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekar were among them.
“All the 9 candidates of BJP will win. SP insulted their worker & people will answer them for choosing a candidate that entertains the society rather than one who serves the society,” said Nitin Agrawal, BJP leader and son of Naresh Agrawal
Meanwhile, TDP MP Naramalli Sivaprasad dresses up as a cattle herder to protest over demand of special status for Andhra Pradesh, other TDP MPs also staged protest in Parliament premises. Sivaprasad had also dressed up as a women and a school boy among others.
Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till Monday after TDP MPs storm the session
Lok Sabha adjourned till noon.
Rajya Sabha polls total seat distribution:
Uttar Pradesh: 10 seats
West Bengal: 5 seats
Karnataka: 4 seats
Telangana: 3 seats
Jharkhand: 2 seats
Chhattisgarh: 1 seat
Kerala: 1 seat
“I have voted for BJP, I don’t know about the rest,” says BSP MLA Anil Singh.
“The entire opposition is united in these biennial polls,” says Shivpal Singh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party`s (SP) legislator from Jaswantnagar.
It will conclude at 4 pm, after which counting will begin at 5 pm.
Voting underway at Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly in Raipur for one Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha polls underway in Telangana:
“BJP will win all the nine Rajya Sabha seats where we have fielded our candidates. Nine more BJP candidates will make entry to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh this time,” says Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya
There will be no cross-voting, but yes BJP MLAs will cross-vote in our favour: SP Leader Ram Gopal Yadav
Bengaluru: CM Siddaramaiah & Congress MLAs met at Vidhan Soudha.
West Bengal MLAs queue up at the state assembly to cast their votes for Rajya Sabha Elections:
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma meets party MLAs in Lucknow:
Senior BJP leaders Prakash Javdekar, BS Yeddyurappa and party’s Rajya Sabha candidate Rajeev Chandrashekar meet at Bengaluru party office in Vidhan Soudha
“Vijay Mishra (Nishad Party MLA) and Anil Singh (BSP MLA) were present there (yesterday’s meeting of BJP and its allies), which confirms their support,” UP Minister OP Rajbhar said.
Voting for Rajya Sabha elections in 6 states, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, begins
“SP candidate Jaya Bachchan Ji and BSP candidate Bhim Rao Ambedkar whom we are supporting, will win the Rajya Sabha elections,” said SP leader Rajendra Chaudhary. Considering BJP’s condition I’d say that its own MLAs are annoyed and some of them may even end up siding with the opposition,” he added.
The country’s most populous state sends 31 MPs to the 245-member Rajya Sabha. Besides Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, the others in the fray are from BJP are Ashok Bajpai, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, Sakal Deep Rajbhar, Kanta Kardam, Anil Jain, Harnath Singh Yadav, GVL Narasimha Rao and Anil Kumar Agarwal.
The Trinamool Congress has asked 10 MLAs, who are officially legislators of the Congress but have actually switched to the ruling party, to vote in favour of TMC supported Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha polls.
For the 58 Rajya Sabha seats to be filled, 33 candidates from 10 states were declared elected unopposed on March 15. Seven union ministers including Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekar were among them.
BJP is virtually assured of 8 of the 10 seats amid suspense whether it can snatch an extra seat in the light of the newfound bonhomie between former arch rivals Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.
Counting of ballots will be taken up at 5 pm, an hour after the end of votes.
Counting of ballots will be taken up at 5 pm, an hour after the end of votes.
Bureau Report
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