BHOPAL: Election Commission on Tuesday issued notification for election of 55 Rajya Sabha seats. Three seats are falling vacant in MP.
The term of Digvijaya Singh (Congress) along with Satyanarayan Jatia and Prabhat Jha (BJP) are about to complete.
Of the three, the Congress may get two seats and the BJP one on the basis of number of seats each party has in the House.
Nevertheless, in case the BJP fields candidates for two seats there may be an electoral fight.
The name of Singh and that of ex-Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia are doing the rounds for the RS seats. They are the main contenders from the party.
Congress leaders are also demanding that Priyanka Gandhi be sent to RS from MP.
Among the ministers, the names of Sajjan Singh Verma, PC Sharma and ex-president of the party’s state unit Arun Yadav are doing rounds.
It may be difficult for both Jha and Jatia to reach RS for the second time. The BJP may field a fresh candidate.
The names of party’s national vice president Uma Bharati, state vice president Vinod Gotia, former minister Lal Singh Arya and Jayant Malaiya are being discussed.
Important dates
Last date for filling nomination- March 13
Scrutiny of forms- March 16
Last date for withdrawal- March 18
Elections- March 26.
Cong needs 2, BJP 9 members for second seat
Congress will need the support of two members and the BJP nine to get the second seat. Fifty-eight votes are needed to win each RS seat. Congress has 114 members so it will need the backing of two more members to pocket the second seat.
The Congress has the support of seven legislators belonging to SP, BSP and independent. BJP with 107 MLAs needs support of nine more members to win the second seat. It does not, however, look easy.
