BJP-Congress gold meetings for RS polls

Bhopal, Mar 27: Both ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress which are fighting for third seat in Rajya Sabha elections, held meeting of their legislatures here on Thursday to chalk out a strategy for the election scheduled on Friday. The meeting of BJP legislators commenced at Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s residence in the presence of all the senior party leaders.

The MLAs were informed about the strategy as how to vote in favour of party candidates. Surprisingly, four suspended BJP MLAs Sunil Nayak, Jalam Singh Patel, Rasal Singh and Hakam Singh Chadhar who were expected to support BJP on the directives of their leader BJS president Uma Bharti, remained absent from the party. There were speculations that these MLAs are likely to participate in the meeting on the invitation by party leaders and the BJP might consider their return to the party after the Rajya Sabha election.

Sources claimed that the party decided to divide 50 votes in favour of each party candidate and decision regarding votes from 13, decision would be taken in the morning. Parliamentary Affairs minister Narottam Mishra has been directed to be in touch with other party legislators. Among other parties, Janata Dal (U) has already decided to support BJP, while Bahujan Samaj Party has decided not to vote for anybody. The Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) is yet to decide. The BJP legislators were shown dummy ballot papers and informed as how they have to vote for a particular candidate and how to give preferences to other candidates.

Meanwhile, Congress legislators met at the residence of Leader of the Opposition Jamuna Devi in the presence of State Congress president Suresh Pachauri and Congress supported independent candidate Vivek Tankha. Former minister and Congress whip in the House Sajjan Singh Verma told that Tankha is in comfortable position after the visit of SP leader Amar Singh, who united all the SP MLAs in favour of Tankha. “We have already talked to Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) and NCP, while a message from Lucknow would reach to BSP leaders til late night,” he added.