BJP may field Smriti Irani, Harish Dwivedi for Rajya Sabha
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is considering fielding national general secretaries Smriti Irani and Harish Dwivedi in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. Other names under consideration include Varun Gandhi, Sanjeev Baliyan, and Satyapal Singh, according to a report by NDTV. The elections will be held on October 16 for 10 seats in the state. The nomination process starts on Tuesday.
Election strategy
BJP's strategy to win an 8th seat in UP
The BJP is confident of winning seven seats but is eyeing an eighth, leaving the field wide open for cross-voting.
The party may nominate national general secretaries Smriti Irani and Harish Dwivedi as candidates and give tickets to Jats, Rajputs, OBCs, and minorities.
Current OBC MPs Geeta Shakya and BL Verma's terms are ending; Verma could be re-elected due to his ministerial position at the Center.
SP's strategy
SP's potential candidates for Rajya Sabha
The Samajwadi Party (SP) may field three candidates, though its current strength can only secure victory for two.
The party is considering sending senior leader Ram Gopal Yadav back to the Rajya Sabha. Other names in contention include former IAS officer Alok Ranjan and Salim Iqbal.
This indicates that the SP is gearing up for a tough contest against the BJP.
Winning strategy
BJP's strategies to secure the 8th seat
The BJP needs only four additional votes to win the eighth seat. It can achieve this by adding two more unaffiliated MLAs from the Jansatta Dal Loktantrik Party.
The party is also working on strategies to retain Brahmin votes and regain non-Yadav OBC support, especially Kurmi and non-Jatav SC votes lost in previous elections.
Seat challenge
SP's surplus votes and potential cross-voting dynamics
In the SP's favor are a total of 103 MLAs, including two Congress MLAs. After winning two seats, it will have a surplus of 29 votes and need eight more to secure an additional seat.
Cross-voting is likely for the 10th seat as no whip applies in Rajya Sabha elections, meaning voting against a party candidate does not result in a loss of membership.
This means both BJP and SP will try to win over as many MLAs as possible.