The Rajya Sabha contest in Uttar Pradesh has entered a crucial competitive phase with both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) keeping their cards close to their chest, watching each other and waiting to see the other’s next move before revealing their own strategy for fielding additional candidates.
The SP-Congress block has 100 plus effective votes against the 37 first-preference votes required for one Rajya Sabha seat, leaving it with a sizable surplus after securing two seats. The possibility of cross-voting has made the contest particularly significant ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. The SP has already announced two candidates —party veteran Ram Gopal Yadav and Reliance Industries Group president Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani, who are set to comfortably get elected based on the party’s numerical strength in the Uttar Pradesh assembly.
The SP is, therefore, believed to have made up its mind to field the third candidate, hoping to get him elected by the dint of possible cross-voting from NDA MLAs. The party, however, is weighing the possibility of putting up a third candidate, setting the stage for a direct contest with the BJP for the remaining seat. The House arithmetic makes the SP’s gamble relatively easier. SBSP president and minister OP Rajbhar has acknowledged that two of his party’s MLAs, Abbas Ansari and Jagdish Narayan Rai, are likely to vote for the SP. There is also murmur that one or two Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) MLAs may also cross-vote in favour of the SP. A third SP candidate would need to get votes beyond the party’s own alliance, while the BJP would also have to guard against possible cross-voting within the ruling coalition.
As of now, both the BJP and the SP are watching each other’s move with regard to fielding the 11th candidate,” a minister in the UP government said. Sources said the fear of cross-voting by their MLAs was bothering both camps. “The BJP will announce RS candidates on Monday.
