Bhopal, June 5 (IANS). Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya on Friday fueled speculations about the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. He said that if the central leadership decides to field a third candidate, then the ruling party can also ensure his victory.
The statement comes a day after the BJP declared national general secretary Tarun Chugh and senior state leader Rajneesh Aggarwal as candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections from Madhya Pradesh on June 18. At the same time, Congress has nominated former Lok Sabha MP and Congress Working Committee member Meenakshi Natarajan as its candidate. Vijayvargiya, while talking to journalists in Indore, thanked the BJP leadership for the selection of candidates and said that the national leadership of the party has selected two excellent candidates.
“These two will definitely win, but if the party decides on a third candidate, we will ensure their victory as well,” he said. He said both the leaders have worked behind the scenes for the organization for many years and their nomination is a recognition of their contribution.
This statement has drawn attention to the numerical strength of political parties in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly. In the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, which has a total of 230 seats, 58 MLAs are required for one Rajya Sabha seat. BJP has 165 MLAs and will have 49 extra votes left, which it can use for a third candidate.
The Congress’ effective strength is 62 MLAs, four more than the number required to send Meenakshi Natarajan to the Rajya Sabha. However, if the votes of 10 Congress MLAs are declared invalid or they abstain from voting, a third BJP candidate may win. Bharatiya Adivasi Party holds one seat in the assembly.
Political experts believe that Vijayvargiya’s statement indicates that the BJP is keeping its options open, even though the current figures point towards the victory of two BJP candidates and one Congress candidate. If a third BJP candidate is fielded, the election could become more competitive, with additional votes, distance voting and transfer of preference votes playing an important role.
-IANS
ASH/ABM