News Analysis India

Tag: Rajya Sabha election

  • Himachal Pradesh politics: Himachal Pradesh Min Vikramaditya Singh steps down; says MLAs were made to stifle their voices

    Himachal Pradesh Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Wednesday stepped down from his position, a day after the Rajya Sabha election result in the state.

    “The (state) government failed to find even a small piece of land on Mall Road to install the statue of a person (Virbhadra Singh) who was the CM of Himachal Pradesh six times, because of whom this government was formed,” he said.

    He said, “All I would like to say is that under the current circumstances, it is not correct for me to continue as a part of the government. So, I have decided that I am resigning from the Council of Ministers. I am resigning as a minister. In the time to come, I will have video consultations with my people and then decide about the future course of action…””For me, the most important thing is the relationship with the people of Himachal Pradesh,” he added.

    “But the kind of system prevailing in the government in last one year, how MLAs were overlooked and attempts were made to stifle their voices – this is a result of that,” he said.

    In a shocking political development in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, the ruling Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost the Rajya Sabha election to the BJP’s Harsh Mahajan despite the Congress enjoying a comfortable majority in the state assembly.Both candidates secured 34 votes each in the 68-member state assembly.Victory tilted towards Mahajan after a draw of lots was held as a tie-breaker.

    The victory is even more detrimental in the wake of former BJP Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur’s claim that the Sukhu government has been reduced to a minority in the house.

    However, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi conceded his defeat and ‘thanked’ the MLAs who cross-voted leading to the victory of Harsh Mahajan.

    “I would also like to thank the nine persons (MLAs) because they have taught me a lot about human nature, its fickleness or its resoluteness. They supped with us. So, I think we are bad judges of human character, they are obviously better judges of human character,” he said.

    Earlier, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had claimed that opposition leaders were obstructing the work of counting officials, and that “5-6 Congress MLAs were taken away in a convoy of the CRPF and Haryana Police.

    “I have clearly said that I have briefed the party high command regarding the actual situation. Now the ball is in the court of the party high command, they have to decide what the future course of action will be. But I have been very clear and very categorical in what I had to say. It has been said in very clear terms…Whatever has to happen in the time to come will be done with the party high command in due discussions and deliberations. I am sure that whatever decision will be taken, it will be taken in the larger interest of the organisation, of the party, and the people of this state,” said Vikramaditya.

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  • Rajya Sabha polls: BJP banks on ‘miracle’, Congress on numbers

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: As voting got underway for the four Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan, the ruling Congress on Friday exuded confidence that it has the numbers to win three seats while the opposition BJP said it expects a “miracle” when the results are announced.

    Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the Congress will comfortably win three out of the four seats. Lashing out at the opposition BJP for fielding Subhash Chandra as an independent candidate despite not having majority, he claimed, “Their own MLAs did not like Chandra”. The BJP maintained that both its official candidate Ghanshyam Tiwari and independent candidate Chandra will win.

    Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot casts his vote for Rajya Sabha Elections 2022 (Photo | PTI)Before leaving for the assembly building for polling, Gehlot told reporters outside Hotel Leela Palace on the Delhi highway, “I am saying again that we are winning three seats comfortably and they (BJP) should take care of their house.

    ALSO READ: Media barons appear to have lost steam on eve of crucial Rajya Sabha polls

    The way they fielded another candidate, it was not liked by MLAs of their party. ” “There is a reaction in the whole state. Elections were conducted unnecessarily otherwise all four seats — three by us and one by the BJP — would have been won comfortably,” he said.

    He said the BJP did the same thing during the previous Rajya Sabha elections in 2020 but they were defeated. “These people will be defeated again this time,” he said.

    However, BPL MLA Vasudev Devnani said a “miracle” will happen when the results are announced in the evening. “Our claim is still maintained.

    You will see a miracle happening when the results are announced,” Devnani told reporters in the assembly after casting vote. One candidate needs 41 votes to win.

    ALSO READ: Special observers deployed in four states, polling to be videographed

    The Congress, with its 108 MLAs, will have 26 surplus votes after winning two seats. It will require 15 votes to win the third seat.

    The Congress, which has fielded Randeep Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari, claims the support of 126 MLAs, including 108 from the party itself.

    Over 120 of the 200 MLAs of the Rajasthan assembly have already voted by 12 noon. Votes are being cast for the 5 candidates for 4 #RajyaSabha seats in Rajasthan.@NewIndianXpress#RajyaSabhaElections
    — rajesh asnani (@asnaniraajesh) June 10, 2022
    The party needs 123 MLAs to win three seats. The BJP has 71 MLAs in the state Assembly, enough to get one seat in the Rajya Sabha this time. After that, it will be left with 30 surplus votes.

    The 30 surplus votes of the BJP and three of RLP (total 33) are with Chandra. He is short of eight MLAs to win the seat. Polling started at 9 am and will conclude by 4 pm. Counting of votes will be taken up at 5 pm.

    ALSO WATCH

  • Rajya Sabha polls: Congress in Rajasthan approaches anti-corruption bureau alleging horse-trading 

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: The Rajya Sabha election in Rajasthan is getting murkier by the day. On Sunday, the ruling Congress complained to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)  and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan police that horse-trading efforts are being made to lure MLAs to switch sides. 

    Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi lodged a formal complaint alleging that efforts were underway to tempt MLAs of the Congress camp after some MLAs provided inputs that telephonic efforts are being made to lure them to vote for BJP-backed candidate Subhash Chandra. The Congress is also relieved as it has pacified six MLAs who were angry but reached the Udaipur resort along with CM Ashok Gehlot.

    Mahesh Joshi, the Congress Chief Whip in the assembly, has demanded a thorough probe by the ACB to ensure that corrupt deals are not struck to tempt MLAs. Enticing and taking/giving money in a corrupt manner comes under the category of crime and Joshi has asked ACB to start a legal investigation to eliminate the possibility of horse-trading.

    While talking to the media after registering the complaint, Joshi said that apprehensions are being expressed from social media and other sources that in the Rajya Sabha elections, a big game of money power is being played. Joshi claimed that the BJP is playing the dirty game of horse-trading in Rajasthan through media baron Subhash Chandra.

    Although Chandra is projected as an independent candidate, all his proposers are BJP MLAs and Joshi alleged that horse-trading is being tried to fetch votes for Chandra. Joshi said, “the BJP is spoiling the atmosphere through horse-trading for the Rajya Sabha elections. They are playing the game of horse-trading which threatens to weaken democracy. As I am the government chief whip in the state assembly, it is my moral responsibility to bring such conspiracies of the BJP in front of the public.”

    For the Congress, there was more relief as it was able to pacify the six MLAs who were angry.  After two days of meetings, the six MLAs met CM Gehlot late on Saturday night and the Chief Minister was finally able to convince the angry MLAs who were being called ‘the G6 Group’.  After this, CM Gehlot took these MLAs to Udaipur by a special plane on Sunday. These MLAs include Minister of State for Sainik Welfare Rajendra Gudha, Ramkhiladi Berwa, Girraj Singh Malinga, Wajid Ali, Sandeep Yadav and Lakhan Singh Meena.

    Of these, four had joined the Congress from BSP in 2019 and Gehlot targeted the BJP and asserted, “ for our comrades who came from BSP to Congress and saved the government in the political crisis two years ago, the Rajya Sabha election is a very small matter. They had minor displeasure which has gone away.  What can BJP expect from them?  Questions will arise on why BJP fielded another candidate even though there was no vote.”  The G6 MLAs had opened a front against the government for the past several days over their pending issues.

    Meanwhile, the Aravali Resort in Udaipur where all MLAs of Congress camp have been herded has virtually turned into a fortress with security all around. Ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, a police cordon has been built around the resort. Over 150 policemen in uniform and plain clothes have been deployed on duty at different check posts in a circle of 300 feet around the resort.  The police have been directed that any outsider, whose ID is not verified, should not be able to move beyond the bridge of the resort under any circumstances. Also, there is a clear instruction that no MLA can go out of the resort without approval.

    Significantly, there is an atmosphere of happiness in the Udaipur resort after CM Gehlot persuaded the G-6 angry MLAs.  Now, the fears for Congress’s third candidate Pramod Tiwari not getting elected to Rajya Sabha have greatly receded.

  • JDU functionary resigns ahead of Rajya Sabha polls in Bihar

    Express News Service

    PATNA: Ruling JDU on Wednesday received a setback ahead of Rajya Sabha election in Bihar. JDU state general secretary Rana Randhir Singh Chauhan resigned from the party.

    In his resignation letter sent to state chief Umesh Kushwaha, Singh, didn’t mention the reason for his resignation from JDU. Singh’s wife Sunita Singh Chauhan had unsuccessfully contested assembly election in 2015.

    Singh’s resignation is considered as a major setback for the party, which is in the eye of storm over rumours of its senior leader and union Steel minister RCP Singh’s denial of candidature for third term in Upper House.

    The former national president, however, claimed that his relations with all senior leaders of the party was cordial. He tried to downplay the controversy over his candidature for the third term in Rajya Sabha.