Rajya Sabha polls: BJP working overtime to arrest decline in tally despite win in 4 states
India Today
What is the BJP’s plan of action to avoid losing seats in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls on June 10? Take a look.
With the stage set for a tight contest, the BJP holds 24 of the 57 Rajya Sabha seats scheduled for polling on June 10. Its allies JD(U) and AIADMK along with an independent (Haryana) hold 5 seats. In the aggregate, the BJP-led NDA (BJP+) holds 29 of these 57 seats.
Of the 41 seats in which winners have been declared unopposed, NDA has won 17, UPA 10 and non-aligned regional parties 14 seats - TRS (2), YSRCP (4), BJD (3), AAP (2) and SP+ (3; including Kapil Sibal).
NDA held 18 of these seats, so here it has registered a loss of one seat. Losses in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu made up by gains in UP and Uttarakhand are shown below.
16 seats go to polls tomorrow; Maharashtra (6), Rajasthan (4), Karnataka (4) and Haryana (2). The NDA holds 11 of these seats, three in Maharashtra, two each in Karnataka and Haryana and all four in Rajasthan. The UPA holds five of these seats - three in Maharashtra and two in Karnataka.
There are more candidates standing for these seats than on offer, hence forcing a contest. In Maharashtra, polling will take place for a Rajya Sabha seat after 22 years. Till now, MPs have been elected unopposed.
With its current strength in these state assemblies, the NDA has the numbers to sureshot win six seats (-5), two each in Karnataka and Maharashtra and one each in Haryana and Rajasthan. The BJP’s loss in Rajasthan state elections (2018) and a decline in tally in Haryana (2019) and Maharashtra (2019) is likely to catch up now.
To contain damage, the BJP has put up an extra candidate each in Maharashtra and Karnataka. It is backing two media barons (independents), one in Rajasthan and the other in Haryana, to exploit dissent in the local camp of Congress over outsider candidates, hoisted by the High Command.
