Intrigue, money power dominate RS polls

The ruling Congress in Rajasthan too has been taken by surprise with the BJP’s decision to support Independent R D Sharma. The ruling CPI in West Bengal too has been put in a silimar situation by the Trinamool Congress which is backing Independent Jayant Bhattacharya.

Victory for five Bharatiya Janata Party, three Samajwadi Party and one Bahujan Samaj Party candidate in UP seems to be a foregone conclusion. The contest in the State is only between two of the 11 Rajya Sabha seats for which there are five contenders, one each of the BSP, Loktantrik Congress, Jantantrik Bahujan Samaj Party, Congress and the Lok Dal.

The fear of horse-trading has increased as smaller parties, not having enough votes, have fielded candidates known for their money power. Independent candidate P C Srivastava told The Indian Express that he had withdrawn from the contest because he could not afford up to Rs 20 lakhs for one vote.

In Rajasthan, confident of making a clean sweep of the three seats from the state due to its commanding position – 154 out of 199 – in the Assembly, the Congress has been forced to give up its complacency and close its ranks amidst apprehensions of cross-voting by disgruntled MLAs to embarrass the leadership.

The Congress candidates are former member of Parliament Mool Chand Meena, industrialist R P Goenka and a Dalit party worker Jamuna Devi Barupal.

Though each Rajya sabha candidate would need at least 51 first-preference votes to win from a 200-member Assembly, the minimum requirement would be reduced due to a vacancy and the boycott by Amra Ram. The Congress worries stem from the fact that a slight tilt to the other side from amongst its MLAs can disturb the delicate balance which is presently in its favour.

R D Sharma a businessman, entered the scene mainly on the basis of his money-power. He has been able to mobilise 10 legislators from amongst the Independents and smaller parties to propose his candidature. The BJP, which had earlier decided to stay away from the poll, changed its stand when it realised that Sharma could upset the Congress applecart, while it had nothing to lose.

Once the two sides pitched in, the Independents and people elected on the tickets of smaller parties succeeded in creating a situation where both sides started wooing them. Since they had propped up Sharma to demonstrate their importance, they are set to capitalise it.

In Calcutta, the Congress high command’s decision to reject Somen Mitra’s candidature and impose D P Roy, widely believed to be a candidate propped up by PCC working president Priyaranjan Dasmunshi, has created widespread dissension among MLAs.

The possibility of `mischief’ has been reinforced with the Trinamool Congress, with three MLAs and 14 from the Congress who owe allegiance to the party and a lone BJP MLA, having put up a candidate, Jayant Bhattacharya.

The senior CLP leaders appeared to have already smelt trouble. “We feel there would be cross-voting, though we do not know what would be dimension of the problem for the high-command nominated Roy,” a senior CLP leader told The Indian Express on condition of anonymity.

The Congress, with 74 MLAs, technically has the strength to get one RS candidate elected; the Left Front, with 208 members has the requisite strength to achieve success for four of its candidates. However, unofficially, with 14 MLAs owing allegiance to the Trinamool Congress, the actual strength the Congress is 60.

The Congress leadership fears that its `hurt’ members will try to use the Trinamool Congress’ candidate to express their dissent against `Dasmunshi’s manipulation.’