Reacting to speculation of cross-voting by five Samajwadi Party (SP) MLAs in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Rajya Sabha election, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said that disciplinary action would be taken against the legislators if they had cross-voted.
“Not everybody has the guts to stand against the government. Pressure is put on everybody, is there anyone who doesn’t know that the BJP would go to any extent to win? The BJP was dishonest during the Chandigarh elections also… When it comes to UP, the BJP did everything to get votes, and those who left might not have had the guts to stand against the govt. Action will be taken because our party leaders want such people to be kept away from the party,” said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
ALSO READ: Rajya Sabha Polls: BJP wins big in UP, Himachal; Congress bags Karnataka
Akhilesh Yadav also said that the SP’s decision to field a third Rajya Sabha candidate was actually a “test” and the party’s victory lies in the fact that the rebels were identified.
“Our third seat (bid) was actually a test to identify true companions. It was to know who is with people from the backward classes, Dalits and minority communities and whose inner voice is against them. Now everything is clear. This is our third seat victory,” he said in a post on social media platform X.
The results of the election for 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh are yet to be declared.
In another setback to the Samajwadi Party, party MLA Manoj Kumar Pandey today resigned from the post of chief whip in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly hours before the Rajya Sabha election.
ALSO READ: Congress loses Himachal Rajya Sabha seat to BJP: What went wrong, floor test next for Sukhvinder Sukhu’s govt?
He met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in his chamber in the Legislative Assembly.
“I have requested the party chief to accept my resignation from the post of chief whip,” said Manoj Kumar Pandey when he was going to meet UP Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh.
Later, Pandey and four other SP MLAs were seen flashing the victory sign with BJP candidate RPN Singh and UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak.
On his resignation as SP chief whip, Manoj said: “The people have given me a chance to vote many times… If one is in politics, one has to bear all kinds of blame. I have been nominated for the people, and I will think only about my people.”
On Monday, some SP MLAs were missing from a dinner hosted by party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has put up 8 Rajya Sabha candidates, while the Samajwadi Party has put 3 for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats at stake.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it’s all here, just a click away! Login Now!