Lucknow, May 02 (UNI): Hectic political activities are expected
during the next two months in Uttar Pradesh when the Election
Commission will hold biennial polls to 10 seats
of the Rajya Sabha and 13 seats of the UP Legislative Council.
UP Chief Minister Mayawati would be among the 12 members of
the UP Legislative Council, the Upper House of the state
legislature, as her term expires on July 6 next.
Whereas, 10 members of the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of
Parliament, will retire on July 4.
Biennial elections to both the Houses are due in June. The
elections to the Legislative Council and Rajya Sabha are
likely to be held in the third week of June.
The Election Commission has already initiated the process
for the election and a letter has been sent to state Assembly
Speaker Sukhdeo Rajbhar to recommend the names of Returning
Officers (nominations) for elections to both the Houses.
The ruling BSP is likely to be the major gainer in the biennial
polls by winning at least 6 seats each in the Legislative Council
and Rajya Sabha. Ms Mayawati is expected to get re-elected in
the Legislative Council.
The Rajya Sabha members retiring on July 4 are Kamal Akhtar,
Nand Kishore Yadav, Jaya Bachchan, Bhagwati Singh, Ram Naryan
Sahu, Amir Alam Khan and Brij Bhushan Tewari (all SP), Ambeth
Rajan, Satish Chandra Mishra (both BSP) and Arun Shourie of
BJP.
For the Rajya Sabha polls, each candidate will need 34 first
preference votes.
The BSP can easily get its six members elected while for
winning the seventh seat it is short of 12 first preference
votes.
The SP can win two seats while the BJP can win one seat.