February 27, 2024
NEW DELHI – Samajwadi Party suffered a big setback in the Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday when at least four MLAs showed their rebel stance.
The crucial Rajya Sabha elections began at 9 am with 41 out of 56 candidates already declared victorious due to the absence of opposition.
SP chief whip in the state assembly Manoj Kumar Pandey today resigned from the chief whip post with immediate effect without assigning any reason.
Reports say that he is expected to join the BJP soon.
Along with Pandey, three other SP MLAs who turned rebels are Rakesh Pratap Singh, Abhay Singh and Rakesh Pandey.
All the three MLAs reached the assembly to vote in a car driven by Rakesh Pratap Singh, MLA from Gauriganj, Amethi.
On Sunday, Rakesh Pandey’s son , BSP MP Ritesh Pandey had joined the BJP.
Later in a joint statement, the trio MLAs said, “We will vote based on the voice of our conscience.”
On the other hand, five SP MLAs – Abhay Singh, Rakesh Pratap Singh, Rakesh Pandey, Vinod Chaturvedi and Manoj Kumar Pandey met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here in his chambers in the assembly.
SP MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh had not attended both the meetings of his party and had taken a rebellious stance. Along with Rakesh Pratap Singh, SP MLAs from Ayodhya district Abhay Singh and Rakesh Pandey from Ambedkar Nagar are also present, who can vote in favour of the BJP.
SP president Akhilesh Yadav in a statement said, ” We hope all three candidates of Samajwadi Party will win…BJP can use all the tactics to win elections. BJP will do everything possible for victory. Some of our leaders who want personal gains can go to the BJP…”
He said BJP was doing unethical things and people will teach them a lesson in the Lok Sabha polls.
SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav too charged the BJP with indulging in unethical ways to get votes in the Rajya Sabha polls.
Along with these four revel MLAs, two other women legislators of SP — Puja Pal and Pallvi Patel — were reported to be annoyed with the party and they could also cross vote or abstain from voting.
Meanwhile, all nine RLD MLAs voted together in favour of the BJP candidate. According to RLD sources, they had voted for the 8th BJP candidate Sanjay Seth.
Polling is being held for 15 Rajya Sabha seats — 10 in Uttar Pradesh, four in Karnataka and one in Himachal Pradesh from 9 am to 4 pm and counting will be held later in the day from 5 pm onwards.