Chances of Jaya Bachchan's renomination to RS appear dim

Mohan Singh, who was earlier the party's Lok Sabha MP from Deoria, had been nominated as SP's national spokesperson earlier this year after the ouster of Amar Singh.
As he had lost from Deoria during last year's Lok Sabha elections, there are speculations within the party that Mohan Singh could now be rehabilitated in Rajya Sabha considering he is the party's national spokesperson and also a general secretary.

However, due to depleted strength of the party in Uttar Pradesh assembly, it is in a position to nominate only two leaders to Rajya Sabha, from where seven of its sitting MPs are retiring in July this year, including its MP from UP Jaya Bachchan.

Out of the two seats, while the party can directly nominate one person, for the other seat its candidate will require the support of Congress, party sources say.In such a scenario, if Mohan Singh is nominated directly from one seat, SP may face problems renominating Jaya Bachchan as its second representative as Congress may not actually appreciate the move, considering the not so good equations between Congress leadership and Bachchan family.

Moreover party sources say that with all its seven seats falling vacant from UP, it would like to look at some senior party leaders, who have been harbouring ambitions of entering Rajya Sabha. Currently SP has 11 Rajya Sabha MPs.

Officially, the SP leadership refused to comment on the Rajya Sabha nominations and claimed that all is well between the party and Jaya Bachchan.

"We don't want to comment on who will be nominated. We have to nominate two persons to Rajya Sabha and the party will take a collective decision on this. The final decision will be taken at the party's Central Parliamentary Board meeting on May 30," party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav told PTI.

When asked whether there were differences between the party and Jaya Bachchan, considering her close links with expelled party leader Amar Singh, Yadav said, "she is very much with the party. There were never any differences between us. Media keeps on speculating and spreads such theories."
Though her renomination hangs in suspension, Jaya had chosen to remain with the SP when Amar Singh was expelled.