New Delhi: Calculations and strategising have begun ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections for 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh. Both the BJP and the SP have started working on their respective electoral equations. The BJP has announced candidates for 8 seats, while the SP has announced candidates for 2; the Samajwadi Party may soon field a third candidate as well.
Meanwhile, although Akhilesh Yadav had signalled a willingness to put past grievances aside and welcome back rebel MLAs for the Rajya Sabha elections, that approach does not appear to be working. Rebel SP MLAs have met with CM Yogi Adityanath. Speculation has been rife ever since three rebel SP MLAs met with the Chief Minister.
Rebel SP MLAs meet Yogi. i
Even before the election date, the BJP has intensified efforts to ensure the victory of its eighth candidate. Rebel SP MLAs once again went to meet CM Yogi. In Lucknow, Rakesh Pratap Singh (MLA from Amethi’s Gauriganj constituency), Abhay Singh (MLA from Ayodhya’s Gosaiganj), and Chaturvedi (MLA from Jalaun’s Kalpi constituency) paid a courtesy call on the Chief Minister.
While these were described as routine courtesy calls, political interpretations are already being drawn from meetings held so close to the Rajya Sabha elections.
Akhilesh had already signalled a willingness to meet.
A few days ago, former CM and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had conveyed a significant message regarding the Rajya Sabha elections. He stated that this was an opportunity to move past old mistakes and stand united with others based on principles. Akhilesh Yadav remarked that if anyone felt that democracy, the Constitution, or the country’s economy were under attack—or was concerned about rising inflation or government decisions—then the time had come to meet before the Rajya Sabha elections.
He added that the SP was ready to let bygones be bygones for those who had lost their way or for colleagues wishing to return to the fold. Following this statement by Akhilesh, the meeting between these specific MLAs and CM Yogi has raised questions. There is speculation in political circles about whether Akhilesh’s appeal for unity has failed to make an impact, as MLAs busy themselves with aligning their political interests ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections.
Will the political equation shift during the election?
The biggest question now is what role these MLAs will play in the Rajya Sabha elections. Will these meetings remain mere formalities, or will a major political decision emerge in the coming days? The answer will become clear only during the election itself. This meeting with the Chief Minister has certainly sparked a fresh debate regarding Akhilesh Yadav’s appeal and the political arithmetic of the Rajya Sabha elections.
