Rajya Sabha results: Parties crackdown on cross voters

LUCKNOW: The rippling effect of the Friday RS results, in which ruling BJP registered a massive victory by clinching 9 of 10 seats, was witnessed in both ruling alliance and opposition camps here on Saturday.

While BJP ally Suheldev Bharat Samaj Party chief OP Rajbhar was left red faced by reports of alleged cross voting by two -- Kailash Nath Sonekar and Triveni Ram -- of his four MLAs in RS polls, opposition, including BSP and RLD, cracked down on their respective MLAs who had indulged in cross-voting on Friday.

SBSP chief OP Rajbhar sought an explanation from his MLAs and also constituted a four-member committee to find out truth of cross voting.  After a recent meeting with Amit Shah, sulking Rajbhar, had
declared that his four MLAs would support saffron party candidates in RS elections.

On the other, after Mayawati reaction to RS results, SP and RLD moved to keep her in good humour to maintain the new-found bonhomie among them. Extending gratitude to Mayawati and addressing her reservations over his ties with Kunda MLA Raja Bhaiyya, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday deleted tweet thanking him for his promised support in RS polls. However, the independent  MLA is believed to have voted in BJP’s favour. Moreover, empathising with BSP, the SP cancelled victory celebration
for its nominee Jaya Bachchan.

Similarly, RLD chief Ajit Singh expelled his Chhaprauli MLA Sahender Singh Ramala who was accused of casting invalid vote deliberately to help BJP candidate. Mayawati on Saturday had threatened to
review future ties with the RLD.