Rajya Sabha Election Result 2024: The BJP emerged victorious on eight of the 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh that went to the polls in the state's Legislative Assembly on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the candidates fielded by the Samajwadi Party (SP) won two seats. The polling in UP Assembly saw cross-voting by seven SP MLAs in the favour of the state's ruling BJP.

Given its strength in the 403-member UP Assembly, BJP was guranteed to win seven seats and three seats were sure to witness election of SP candidates. However, the BJP fielded eight candidates, taking away the SP's hopes of all its candidates being elected unopposed. A total of 11 candidates from the two parties were in the fray. The BJP banked on votes from MLAs belonging to the RLD, which recently joined the NDA coalition, and rebel SP lawmakers.

Cross-Voting By SP Rebels

As many as seven SP MLAs cross-voted, while one other did not even reach the House for voting. Meanwhile, Umashankar Singh, the lone MLA from BSP, which is in the Opposition, also voted for BJP candidate Sanjay Seth.

SP's troubles became visibly clear after its chief whip in UP Assembly resigned from the party ahead of the polling.

'Had Been Saying All Along'

Following his party's victory on eight of the 10 Rajya Sabha seats from UP, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said, "We had been saying from the beginning that all 8 candidates of the BJP will win. All our 8 candidates have won today. I congratulate all the winning candidates."

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He further said, "I thank the people due to whose votes they won. Two SP candidates have also won. So, congratulations to Akhilesh Yadav too...BJP's vijay yatra that began in Rajya Sabha will continue in Lok Sabha and then go on till Vidhan Sabha elections and even further."

'Third Seat Test To Identify...'

Amidst the voting and speculations of cross-voting by SP MLAs, party chief Akhilesh Yadav posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter): "Our third seat was actually a test to identify the true friends and to know who was with the PDA at heart and who was against the backward classes, Dalits and minorities by their 'antaratma' (conscience). Now everything is clear, this is the victory of the third seat."

Himachal, Karnataka RS Polls

Voting took place for 15 Rajya Sabha seats across Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh during the day. In Himachal Pradesh, the sole Rajya Sabha seat from the state was won by BJP's Harsh Mahajan. On the other hand, the Congress party won three of the four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka, with the BJP managing to secure victory on the remaining one.

(With inputs from agencies)


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