Samajwadi Party Chief Whip Resigns Amid Fears of Cross-Voting in Rajya Sabha Polls

Amid speculation regarding cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election, Samajwadi Party MLA and leader Manoj Kumar Pandey tendered his resignation from the position of Samajwadi Party Chief Whip.

“I have requested the party chief to accept my resignation from the post of Chief Whip,” said SP MLA Manoj Kumar Pandey when he was going to meet Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh.

Following his discussion with the SP MLA, UP Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh stated that the SP MLA was a proponent of Sanatan Dharma.

“Many public representatives are joining the BJP due to being influenced by PM Modi’s policies and the development that is happening in the country. Manoj Pandey ji has always been a supporter of Sanatan Dharma, he has been giving equal statements on this issue inside and outside the House. That’s why he was unhappy there and when the proposal came for the darshan of Ram ji, he wanted everyone to go for darshan,” Dayashankar Singh said.

Previously, Samajwadi Party MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh hinted that he would vote against the party, clarifying that he harbors no resentment towards his party but will heed the call of his conscience before casting his vote. ” I’m not angry with anyone, I will vote according to the voice of inner soul…” said Samajwadi Party MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath departed from the polling station in Lucknow casting his vote for the Rajya Sabha elections. He was seen hoping for a victory through his hand gestures.

Akhilesh Yadav, the Chief of the Samajwadi Party, also participated in the voting process for the election. Om Prakash Rajbhar, the leader of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), asserted that there would be instances of cross-voting, predicting that eight candidates from the BJP would secure victories in the Rajya Sabha election.

“The 8 candidates from the BJP are going to win. Raja Bhaiya and all our allies are in support of BJP. Samajwadi Party leaders are openly agreeing to vote for BJP. There will be cross-voting from the Samajwadi Party. They will support NDA, 100% there will be cross-voting..” said Om Prakash Rajbhar.

Earlier, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav shared his expectations of SP winning three seats where the party has put up candidates, in the Rajya Sabha election. “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…” said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

“Our MLAs who are in contact with the Bharatiya Janata Party and those who want to take advantage of it will go with the Bharatiya Janata Party. They are being lured by the Bharatiya Janata Party camp,” added SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav.

In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has nominated eight candidates for the Rajya Sabha, while the Samajwadi Party has nominated three candidates for the 10 available seats. Based on the Legislative Assembly’s composition, the BJP is expected to secure seven seats, with the SP projected to secure three seats. However, there are reports indicating that several MLAs may engage in cross-voting.

On Monday, certain SP legislators were absent from a dinner hosted by SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav. Reports indicate that at least 8 MLAs were missing from the dinner, raising concerns that these legislators may abstain from voting or engage in cross-voting, either of which could lead to the BJP securing its eighth seat in the state. Nevertheless, the BJP remains confident in obtaining the necessary numbers to win all eight seats for which they have fielded candidates.

UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak said, ” MLAs support and blessings are with BJP’s candidates. The results will be in favour of BJP…all candidates of BJP will win”

The seven candidates fielded by the BJP are former Union Minister RPN Singh, former MP Chaudhary Tejveer Singh, general secretary of the party’s Uttar Pradesh unit Amarpal Maurya, former state minister Sangeeta Balwant (Bind), party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, former MLA Sadhna Singh and former Agra mayor Naveen Jain.

However, the BJP’s nomination of Sanjay Seth as its eighth candidate has set the stage for a competitive race for one of the seats. The SP has put forth actor MP Jaya Bachchan, retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan, and Ramji Lal Suman as its candidates.

To secure a Rajya Sabha seat from UP, a candidate requires approximately 37 first preference votes. The voting for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats is scheduled for Tuesday, with the results expected to be announced on the same day.

As the NDA and SP-Congress coalition sought support from other parties on Monday, the BJP gained momentum with the Jansatta Dal-Loktantrik, led by Raja Bhaiyya, pledging the support of its two MLAs to the party.

After his grandfather Chaudhary Charan Singh was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna earlier this month, Jayant Chaudhary had already announced RLD’s backing for the BJP. The nine MLAs of RLD met with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and participated in a strategic meeting at Lok Bhawan with NDA allies.

The tenure for Rajya Sabha MPs is six years, with elections held every two years for 33 percent of the seats. Presently, the Rajya Sabha comprises 245 members. The results of the Rajya Sabha polls are anticipated to influence the politically significant state as the Lok Sabha elections approach.