The ruling BJP’s campaign to wrest a third Rajhya Sabha seat from the Congress in Madhya Pradesh in the June 11 biennial elections suffered yet another jolt with the tragic death of its MLA Rajendra D
The ruling BJP’s campaign to wrest a third Rajhya Sabha seat from the Congress in Madhya Pradesh in the June 11 biennial elections suffered yet another jolt with the tragic death of its MLA Rajendra Dadu in a road accident late on Thursday night.
With the legislator’s death, the strength of BJP in state assembly has been reduced to 164, which is 10 short of votes required to send its third candidate Vinod Gotia to the upper house on its own steam. Mr Dadu died along with his security guard when the speeding car in which they were travelling skidded on the road and turned over several times at Sehore, 35 km from here.
Earlier on Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld the verdict by the MP high court terminating the membership of party legislator Rajendra Meshram for indulging in unfair practices in the Assembly elections and debarred him from voting in June 11 biennial elections.
The twin developments may help the Congress candidate Vivek Tankha sail through smoothly in the biennial election, which was earlier predicted to witness a cliff hanger following the entry of BJP’s third candidate.
Congress, with 57 MLAs, was short of only one vote to have its candidate elected. Four BSP legislators extended support to the Congress candidate.
Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath who has been given charge of steering the party candidate to victory in the RS polls in MP was on Friday seen interacting with each party MLA to foil any possible bid by BJP to engineer cross voting in
Congress and secure Mr Gotia’s victory.”At least six Congress MLAs are under close watch”, a party insider told this newspaper.
BJP, which is in a comfortable position to send its first and second preference candidates Anil Dave and M J Akbar respectively, appeared to be still banking on the support of “friendly legislators” in the Congress and BSP to secure victory for its third candidate.
