The Rajya Sabha polls in four states on Friday – Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan and Karnataka – gave a shot in the arm to the BJP amid allegations of misconduct and horse-trading that were traded between rivals.
Haryana and Maharashtra saw late-night high drama after results were delayed but the BJP ended up winning three seats in the western state while claiming one seat in Manohar Lal Khattar-ruled Haryana.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi or the Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra managed to get three seats as Sena’s Sanjay Raut continues to a member of the upper house. All in all, the BJP has seen favourable results in three of four states.
Here are top updates on Rajya Sabha polls:
Two union ministers- Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal – have won from Karnataka and Maharashtra respectively. They were among the top candidates in this round of Rajya Sabha polls.
In Maharashtra, NCP leader Praful Patel, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut, Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi, BJP’s Anil Bonde and Dhananjay Mahadik are among other leaders who have got elected to the Rajya Sabha.
Three MLAs of the ruling party – cabinet ministers Jitendra Awhad (Nationalist Congress Party) and Yashomati Thakur (Indian National Congress), besides Shiv Sena legislator Suhas Kande – have been accused of violating the model code of conduct in the state of Maharashtra where the Sena-NCP-Congress coalition had hoped to win a majority of six seats for which voting was being held.
In Rajasthan, Congress candidates Pramod Tiwari, Mukul Wasnik and Randeep Surjewala have been elected. “The victory of Congress in three Rajya Sabha seats is a win for democracy. I congratulate the newly elected MPs Pramod Tiwari, Mukul Wasnik and Randeep Surjewala. I am sure they will be a strong voice of Rajasthan’s rights in Delhi,” chief minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted.
With Ghanshyam Tiwari’s win, the BJP claimed one of four seats. But media baron Subhash Chandra failed to make the cut. The Congress has 108 legislators and the BJP 71 in 200-member state assembly. Chandra was earlier elected from Haryana as a Rajya Sabha MP. Also, the BJP has suspended its MLA Shobharani Kushwah for cross-voting in favour of Congress’s Pramod Tiwari.
Haryana saw a twist, which turned out to be an embarrassment for the Congress. The party’s Ajay Maken lost to an independent candidate backed by the BJP – Kartikeya Sharma. He is the son of former Congress minister Venod Sharma and son-in-law of Congress leader Kuldeep Sharma.
The BJP has won one seat of the two with Krishan Lal Panwar’s win. “It’s a matter of happiness for us. I thank all the MLAs for making Krishan Lal Panwar and Kartikeya Sharma win. It’s a victory of democracy. I’m hopeful that both of them will raise the matters related to Haryana’s people in the house,” chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar told reporters.
Meanwhile, Karnataka is witnessing a widening rift between former coalition partners – the JDS and the Congress. Two JDS leaders cross voted and amid rifts between the JDS and the Congress, the BJP ended up winning three of four seats.
After Sitharman, actor-politician Jaggesh and member of legislative council Lehar Singh Siroya won, the BJP’s CT Ravi said: “Other parties helped us”.
Last week, 41 candidates from 11 states were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha. In total, 57 candidates have been elected to the upper house within days.