RS poll: Top guns Sitharaman, Surjewala, Raut elected, BJP wins big

A total of 16 candidates were elected to the Rajya Sabha from four states where polling was held on Friday

The Bharatiya Janata Party managed to win big in the tightly contested elections to Rajya Sabha, with the party managing to convince independents and smaller parties to win extra seats in Haryana, Karnataka and Maharashtra. This spells a boost for the party for the upcoming Presidential polls where it is now just short of 20,000 votes.

The party’s strength across assemblies in the states where elections were held would have helped it win 20 of the 24 seats it had held. And yet, the party managed to win 22 seats, in addition to helping an independent win, toppling the Opposition’s tally.

The BJP convinced legislators upset with Opposition parties, as well as smaller regional parties, in addition to propping up independent candidates, and managed to win one extra seat in Haryana and Maharashtra.

Also Read: Rajya Sabha polls: BJP's Krishan Lal Panwar, Independent candidate elected from Haryana; Ajay Maken loses

Party national general secretary and Maharashtra in-charge CT Ravi said that their strategy bore fruit. “Many MLAs are angry with their own parties, and it was clear from voting patterns of the Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra, as well as within JD(S) and Congress in Karnataka. We have taken the benefit of the division,” Ravi said.

The win has now bolstered the BJP’s position ahead of the presidential elections, which are scheduled to take place on July 18, if there is an Opposition candidate. The electoral college accounts for 10.86 lakh votes, and currently the NDA holds around 5.2 lakh votes, just shy of 20,000 votes. It hopes to garner support from regional parties like the YSR Congress and the BJD.

Also Read: BJP shocks MVA with win to additional candidate

“We are 100% sure of a win,” Ravi said.

In Rajasthan, however, the party suspended Dholpur legislator Shobharani Kushwah, who cross-voted in favour of a Congress candidate.

Also Read: Congress thwarts BJP in Rajasthan, bags 3 Rajya Sabha seats

In all, elections were held for 57 seats across 15 states, among which 41 members in 11 states were elected unopposed. Elections were held for 16 seats across four states. The wins have now brought BJP’s tally in Rajya Sabha to 95. In the last biennial elections, in June last year, it gained 14 members.