E-Paper
Row over BSP MLAs meeting Akhilesh Yadav ahead of Rajya Sabha elections
SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said his party was neither indulging in horse-trading nor luring BSP MLAs. “There is dissatisfaction in the BSP against the party leadership.”
The nomination of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Ramji Gautam for the Rajya Sabha election was held valid on Wednesday even as four party MLAs claimed that their signatures on it were “forged”.
But the papers filed by the Samajwadi Party (SP)-supported independent candidate Prakash Bajaj were rejected after a scrutiny of the nominations filed for the November 9 polls for 10 seats from Uttar Pradesh that are falling vacant.
“The nomination of Bajaj has been rejected. Gautam’s papers have been found valid,” the office of the Returning Officer said.
With the rejection of businessman Bajaj’s nomination, all 10 candidates in the fray from UP are expected to win unopposed.
Earlier, a controversy erupted after the four MLAs sent a petition to the Returning Officer, saying that they have not signed the nomination papers.
The four BSP leaders later went to the SP office to meet SP president Akhilesh Yadav, sparking a buzz that they might switch sides. They were joined by two more BSP MLA.
BSP MLA Umashankar Singh alleged that the SP was using money power to lure the MLAs.
SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said his party was neither indulging in horse-trading nor luring BSP MLAs. “There is dissatisfaction in the BSP against the party leadership.”
Meanwhile, the four rebel BSP MLAs alleged that a senior BSP leader has threatened them with dire consequences, insisting that they will not join another party.
