Majority BSP hurdle for SP in Legislative Council

However,the Vidhan Parishad can delay other Bills,refuse to pass them or send these back to the Assembly with amendments,resulting in a deadlock. The situation is similar to 2007 when the BSP assumed power and the SP had a majority in the council. The SP may also feel the heat when it brings amendments in the Acts passed by the Mayawati regime,or enact new laws which the BSP may not approve of.

In the 100-member council,the BSP has 63 members,SP 13,BJP nine,Congress three,Teachers group seven. There are four Independents and one seat is vacant. Thirteen members are retiring on May 5,including five of the SP,four of BSP,three of BJP,and one of RLD.

With its the increased numerical strength in the Assembly,the SP can win six seats and BSP two. This means a gain of only one seat for the SP which will not make any difference to the BSP’s ability to stall whatever measures it wants. Further,council chairman Ganesh Shanker Pandey belongs to the BSP.

Nevertheless,lobbying for the council seats has begun in the SP. Two seats will go to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Revenue Minister Ambika Choudhary,neither of whom is member of the Lower House and must get elected to the legislature to fulfil the constitutional requirement.

For the remaining four,nearly a dozen names are doing round. Former minister Ashok Bajpayee,who lost from Sawaijpur in Hardoi,and Vishambher Prasad Nishad,who lost from Tindwari in Banda,are hopeful of getting a berth.

SP can be hopeful of two extra berths,which includes one lying vacant due to resignation of BSP member Madhuri Verma after she won Assembly election on Congress ticket,and another of Mayawati which she will resign following her election to the Rajya Sabha.

UP Legislative Council polls on April 26
New Delhi: The Election Commission on Monday announced April 26 as the date for holding biennial elections to the Legislative Councils of Uttar Pradesh (13 seats),along with byelections to one Rajya Sabha seat from the state. While the biennial elections have been necessitated because the term of the members of the Legislative Council is set to expire in the first week of May,the Rajya Sabha byelection has been necessitated by the resignation of SP member Rasheed Masood,who has joined the Congress. UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is set to be in fray for a Council seat as he is currently a member of the Lok Sabha and needs to get a membership of the state legislature to continue as the chief minister. He had earlier indicated that he would not contest for the Assembly and would seek election to the Legislative Council. A formal notification for the election will be issued on April 9 after which the candidates can file their nomination till April 16.