The race has begun in right earnest for the 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh that are falling vacant in July.
The race has begun in right earnest for the 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh that are falling vacant in July.
The election schedule for the biennial elections to the upper house is likely to be announced this month and polls will take place in June.
In the Samajwadi Party, the term of three MPs in Rajya Sabha is coming to an end in July and these include Kanaklata Singh, Vishambhar Nishad and Arvind Singh.
The SP, on the basis of its strength in the state Assembly, can send seven members to the Rajya Sabha but party president Mulayam Singh Yadav is unlikely to repeat any of the retiring members this time.
According to sources, Mr Yadav could send some unexpected names to the Upper House this time. Speculation is that a leading media baron and Ms Jaya Prada could be among the candidates for the Rajya Sabha.
The name of Mr Amar Singh is also doing the rounds. With Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav all set to lead the party into the next Assembly elections, some youth leaders are also likely to find a place in the Samajwadi list and one of them is Rajpal Kashyap whose name has been rejected twice by the governor for legislative council.
The Bahujan Samaj Party, on the other hand, has six members retiring in July but with only 80 members in the state Assembly, the party will be able to send two members to the Rajya Sabha for another term.
BSP chief Mayawati has already cleared the name of S.C. Misra for the Rajya Sabha and the second retiring member, Ambeth Rajan, is also likely to get a renomination.
In the BJP, the sole retiring member is Mr Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and party sources claim that he is likely to be renominated for another term.
The Congress also has one member—Capt Satish Sharma—retiring in July and the party will need additional support to get one member elected. UP Congress leaders are not in favour of Capt Sharma being re-nominated since he has neither visited UP after his election and nor does he take interest in party affairs. Party leaders want another upper caste member to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha this time. The Rashtriya Lok Dal, with eight MLAs could drive a hard bargain and sources claim that RLD chief Ajit Singh is pushing for his own election to the Rajya Sabha. The RLD has set its eyes on smaller parties and independents, sources said.
