New Delhi, July 18: Mayawati-led BSP has emerged as the third largest party in the Rajya Sabha, relegating the CPI(M) to fourth position in yet another bad news for Marxists ahead of the Assembly polls in West Bengal and Kerala.
The strength of CPI(M) has come down from 16 to 15 while that of BSP has risen from 13 to 18 in the 245-member Upper House after the last month’s biennial elections to 55 seats.
While the BSP’s graph is rising in the Upper House, the Samajwadi Party, its arch rival in Uttar Pradesh, has suffered the sharpest erosion in its strength (five from 11).
Besides Congress and BJP, the parties which improved their tallies include DMK (seven from four seats), BJD (six from four seats) and Telugu Desam Party (four from two seats).
–PTI