“A four-member committee having BJP legislative party leader Suresh Kumar Khanna, Hriday Narain Dixit, Dharmpal Singh and Ramapati Shastri has been formed to oversee the Legislative Council polls,” party spokesperson Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.
“Like other parties, we are also banking on extra votes and analysing the situation”, Pathak told PTI.
While senior party leader Satish Mahan has been designated poll-agent for candidate Lakshman Achayra, legislator Suresh Rana will be Dayashankar Singh’s polling agent, he added.
With the state Assembly having 403 members, first preference votes of 31 MLAs would be needed to ensure victory of one candidate for the Upper House.
BJP, which has 41 MLAs, can ensure victory of only one candidate, leaving a surplus of 10 votes. However, the party, is banking on support of independents and smaller parties has fielded two candidates.
Samajwadi Party with 230 MLAs is expected to have a smooth sailing in seven seats. Keeping in mind the 13 surplus votes with it, SP is contesting an additional seat, expecting cross-voting to make up for the remaining votes.
Bahujan Samaj Party with 80 MLAs will easily manage two seats, but with a surplus of 18 votes, it would require support of 13 MLAs from outside to ensure victory of its third candidate.
While Congress with 28 MLAs has given support to the SP, Rashtriya Lok Dal having eight members has given support to the BSP.
Political observers believe that smaller parties like RLD, Peace Party (4 MLAs), Quami Ekta Dal (2MLAs), NCP, Apna Dal, Etehad-e-Millat Council and Trinmool Congress (one MLA each) besides six Independents will play a crucial role in deciding fate of the twelfth candidate, in case of voting.
As of now, 13 candidates are in fray for the elections on 12 seats. The final picture will emerge on January 16, the last date of withdrawl.
SP has fielded state Health Minister Ahmad Hasan, Ramesh Yadav, Ramjatan Rajbhar, Sahab Singh Saini, Ashok Bajpai, Virendra Singh Gurjar, Sarojini Agarwal and Ashu Malik.
Naseemuddin Siddiqui, Dharmveer Ashok and Pradeep are contesting on BSP ticket.
The elections were necessitated with 12 council members –seven are from BSP, three from SP and two from BJP– retiring on January 30.
PTI