BJP gasps in number games for RS election

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Tuesday, June 2, 2009

A delegation of the BJP met Chief Election Commissioner (CEO) Navin Chawla in New Delhi on Monday and demanded him to conduct elections of two vacant seats of Rajya Sabha in Jharkhand against proposed one.

Two seats of Rajya Sabha in Jharkhand became vacant following the victory of the former JD (U) MP Digvijay Singh and Yaswant Sinha from Banka (Bihar) and Hazaribagh parliamentary constituencies respectively.

Speaking over telephone from New Delhi the BJP national vice president Yaswant Sinha who headed the delegation said that they impressed upon CEO not to conduct elections of both of the seats in two different phases.

“It will send a wrong signal that the Commission was doing this to favour a party. There is no logic behind conducting elections of two seats on two different dates if both fell vacant at the same time,” Sinha said.

What transpired in their meeting Sinha said that Chawla assured to take note of their demand. What could be the next course of action of the party if the Commission goes ahead with its plan to conduct election of only one seat, Sinha said, “The BJP will decide the later on.” But well-placed sources in the party said that the party might approach the Supreme Court against the decision.

According to information, notification for the election will be issued on Wednesday. Along with Sinha the state BJP president Raghuwar Das, RS MP SS Ahluwaliya, MP Dhanbad PN Singh, former RS MP Ajay Maru and R. Ramkrishna were in the delegation.

Owing to the reduced strength of the BJP in the assembly it will be difficult for the NDA combine to retain both of the seats. While three of its MLAs were elected in the parliamentary elections another two MLAs resigned previously. Thus, the BJP has the total strength of 24 including suspended MLA Manohar Tekriwal.

If the total strength of the NDA is taken together, including four MLAs of the JD(U), it is 28. NDA might increase its tally by two if AJSU extends its support to the NDA candidate. But the number is not sufficient to sail trough.

To win a seat both the UPA and the NDA allies require 37 votes in a House whose total number has reduced from 81 to 73. The UPA is in comfortable position this time. The UPA combine has 26 MLAs; nine of the Congress and 17 of the JMM. In the number game if UPA manages to persuade its old ally; RJD which has seven MLAs than its total strength will be 33.

The UPA will still require another four votes. Here in number game lays the importance of smaller parties and independent MLAs who will hold the key. Smaller parties like Forward Block, Jharkhand Party and UGDP have two members each in the house. If not sure about Jharkhand Party of Ainosh Ekka than the Congress is quite confident of getting support of these two smaller parties. “Independent MLAs and smaller parties will remain with the UPA and you can predict our victory, please you do it,” a senior Congress leader told confidently.

For the BJP number game is not in its favour. The JD(U), its ally openly questioned the role of the BJP in the defeat of the NDA in the country, and, that of the JD(U) in Jharkhand. The JD(U) might not haggle with the BJP to claim its share only because there are fewer prospects to win.

But, then the BJP is probably hoping for some unexpected turn or a magic to save its seat in an assembly where seemingly impossible things happen, quite unpredictable.