UP Legislative Council Polls: BJP likely to field Maurya, six more ministers to help them retain Cabinet post

Among the 13 retiring members, six are from Samajwadi Party (SP), three each from BJP and BSP and one from Congress.

With each Council candidate required to get the votes of at least 29 MLAs to get elected to the Upper House, the BJP can get its nine candidates elected, while the SP four.

The Congress and BSP, which have only two and one MLA, are unlikely to field their candidates.

“BJP has decided to get seven ministers elected. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Panchayati Raj Minister Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary will be on the list as their legislative council membership is expiring on July 6. There are five other ministers – JPS Rathore, Dayashankar Mishra “Dayalu”, Narendra Kashyap, Jashwant Saini and Danish Azad Ansari – who are not members of any House. They will also be given MLC seats to continue as ministers,” said a BJP leader.

“For the remaining two seats, the party is mulling over names of some dedicated workers who might be given chance,” said the leader.

The BJP already has gained a majority in the Legislative Council with 66 members of its own and one each from its two allies — Apna Dal (Sonelal) and Nishad Party. With this election, BJP’s strength will further increase in the House.

After the elections, the Congress will have no member in the Legislative Council. The term of its sole MLC, Deepak Singh, is expiring in July.

As per the poll schedule, June 9 is the last date for filing nominations and June 20 is the date for polling and counting of votes.