RS polls: ‘Independent’ media barons muddy Cong waters  

NEW DELHI/JAIPUR :  Two media barons Subhash Chandra of Zee from Rajasthan and Kartikeya Sharma of NewsX from Haryana entered the fray for the Rajya Sabha as independent candidates on the last day of filing nominations, muddying the waters for the Congress.

Given the disquiet in the Rajasthan Congress over nomination of ‘outsiders’ and also in Haryana, where an upset party MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi has been meeting BJP leaders, the entry of the two Independents could tilt the contest in their favour.

The Congress expected to win 10 RS seats in the June 10 elections, but now it could end up losing two seats if cross-voting takes place in Haryana or Independents decide to vote for Chandra in Rajasthan. 
Of the four RS seats up for grabs in Rajasthan, the Congress can comfortably win two while BJP can win one. With Chandra’s entry, a contest is likely for the fourth seat where the Congress has fielded Pramod Tiwari. With Chandra believed to have the BJP’s backing, a stung Congress reacted sharply. “They know they cannot win but they are trying to fulfill their dreams through horse-trading.  They have planned this nomination which is against the traditions of Rajasthan,” said Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

The Rajasthan assembly has 200 seats and a candidate needs 41 votes to win. The Congress claims it will manage 123 votes (required to win three seats) while the BJP, having 71 MLAs, can win only one. It will need 11 more votes to win a second seat and is trying to lure some Independents and disgruntled Congress MLAs to support Chandra’s candidature.

There are two MLAs from Bhartiya Tribal Party and three MLAs from Hanuman Beniwal’s Rashtriya Loktantrik Party. Both are unlikely to vote for the BJP but can support Chandra. In the 90-member Haryana assembly, a candidate requires 31 votes to win. While the BJP will comfortably win one seat, there is contest on the second seat. The Congress, which has fielded Ajay Maken, has only 31 MLAs and cross-voting by even a single MLA could spell trouble for him. 

Anand Sharma denies buzz of decamping to BJP
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Anand Sharma on Tuesday denied the buzz of his joining the BJP as “political mischief” and dismissed reports of his scheduled meeting with J P Nadda. There were reports that the Congress veteran may become the latest to switch over to the saffron camp after being snubbed by the GOP for RS nomination. Sharma is part of the G23 that has questioned the leadership and sought organi-sational revamp in the party. Sharma and Ghulam Nabi Azad both failed to get tickets. Among the retiring MPs, only Jairam Ramesh, P Chidambaram and Vivek Tankha were renominated.

BJP nominates 2 women in MP with eye on Gujarat 
Bhopal: Knowing well that it’s going to sail through with consummate ease on two out of the three Rajya Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has attempted to strike caste and women balance on the vacant seats, with an eye on triumph in future poll battles of MP and neighbouring Gujarat. Both the women candidates, state party general secretary Kavita Patidar and surprise choice, the three-time Jabalpur municipal councilor Sumitra Valmiki, filed their nominations for the biennial polls to the upper house of the parliament in Bhopal on Tuesday.