The Rajya Sabha (RS) elections in Uttar Pradesh are heading for a close finish with nomination papers of 11 BJP candidates along with one each from Samajwadi Party and BSP being found in order on Tuesday. Polling for the 10 RS seats is slated to be held on March 23.
Now a total of 13 candidates are in the fray for 10 seats of the Upper House of Parliament. The BJP alone has fielded 11 candidates and the SP and BSP have filed one candidate each. The BJP is likely to withdraw two candidates by March 15 - the last date for withdrawal of papers. The ninth candidate of the BJP will remain in the fray and the name is yet to be disclosed by the BJP.
Assembly Secretariat sources said on Tuesday that nomination papers of only one Independent candidate Mahesh Chandra was rejected as it was not seconded by any MLA. Sharma had filed nominations in Rajya Sabha elections without completing the papers earlier too.
Giving a jolt to the Opposition move of uniting for the tenth seat for BSP candidate, the BJP first fielded businessman Anil Agarwal from Ghaziabad as the ninth candidate. But later, two state BJP general secretaries - Vidya Sagar Sonkar of Jaunpur and former MLA from Kanpur Salil Bisnoi, too filed their nominations.
On Monday, the last day of filing nominations, 11 candidates of the BJP including Union Finance minister Arun Jaitley, former SP leader Ashok Vajpayee, Sakaldeep Rajbhar, Kanta Kardam, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, Dr Anil Jain, GVL Narsimha Rao, Harnath Singh Yadav and Anil Agarwal filed their nominations.
Besides, BSP candidate B R Ambedkar filed his nominations supported by SP and Congress MLAs respectively on Monday. Bollywood actor Jaya Bachhan has already filed her nomination as SP candidate on Friday.
As per strength in the Assembly, the BJP can win eight of 10 seats comfortably with 324 votes while the SP could win one and a joint opposition could win the tenth seat. But now the fate of the BSP candidate hangs in balance after the BJP fielded one more candidate.