BJP PLANS TRADE-OFF TO SECURE RS SPOT FOR 3RD CANDIDATE

Mumbai: Elections for Maharashtra’s six Rajya Sabha seats on June 10 will have an effect on the Vidhan Parishad elections scheduled for 10 days later. A pro-active BJP is readying its strategy to link the two crucial elections and fight for extra seats in both.

The party has proposed three candidates for the RS polls with enough strength for two seats. It is similarly expected to nominate five or six candidates for the subsequent legislative council seats, despite having the requisite numbers to elect only four.

In a quid pro quo, the BJP has sought support from independents and amenable political formations by linking it to the Vidhan Parishad elections scheduled for June 20. “Our strategy is simple, even as the news media keeps asking if we will indulge in so-called horse-trading. Both BJP—with 30 votes left over after electing two preferred RS members— as well as the MVA— with 27 extra votes— would naturally be keen to not let them go to waste. We want to leverage our extra votes and negotiate with independents and opposing political formations to get our third RS candidate elected,” a senior BJP leader confirmed.

He added that the BJP’s Sunday meeting was attended by Union Minister for IT, Communication and Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw (Prabhari for Maharashtra RS polls), Commerce Piyush Goyal, Pankaja Munde (aspirant for MLC elections), Ashish Shelar, Jaikumar Rawal and Girish Mahajan. The discussions revolved not only around the RS polls but also dwelt at length on the acid test that the June 20 Vidhan Parishad elections will throw up, he said.

However, BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhyay said he was not aware of “any other discussions” apart from those related to the RS polls.

Contradicting him, the senior leader told First India, “We have four fixed seats in the Vidhan Parishad elections but have decided to contest five or even six seats. We may offer one of these seats to the political formation that is willing to support our bid to send Dhananjay Mahadik as our third candidate to the Upper House.”