Only fat purses can ensure victory in 3 Rajya Sabha seats

With T20 and Indian Premier League (IPL) frenzy over, the country is all set to witness an Indian Parliamentary League — a number of high and mighty have thrown their hat in the ring for the 55 Rajya Sabha seats that will go for polls next month.

Of these 55 seats, 52 are sure to go to political parties as per their respective strength in 13 state assemblies. But, hectic lobbying just short of IPL-type bidding is on for the three open seats. Only people with bags full of money are likely to win those seats.  

All eyes are on Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Jharkhand where one seat each is available for hard bargain due to the complex political situations in those states. If Ajit Singh of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) holds the key in UP, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren and Janata Dal (S) leader HD Deve Gowda are the kingmakers in Jharkhand and Karnataka.

In UP, one out of 11 Rajya Sabha seats will go to Congress if it joins hand with RLD and wins surplus votes of BJP and independents. A winner needs 37 plus votes. Congress and RLD have a combined strength of just 30 in the 403-member UP House. If Congress joins hands with RLD, it will still need 7 more votes.

Unless the candidate has bags full of money, he or she cannot hope to win. The Congress is wooing Ajit Singh to bag the RS seat for its candidate. Singh has just 10 MLAs in the UP House. A leading industrialist, who has interests in UP, has thrown his hat in the ring, assuring that he can be the consensus candidate.

Shibu Soren holds the key for one RS seat as the BJP has been given the chief minister’s post in Jharkhand. While one RS seat will go to the alliance led by the Congress in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly, BJP-JMM-AJSU will win another. If sources are to be believed, a real estate tycoon from Mumbai is in touch with Soren for a ticket. A senior NCP leader is reportedly mediating.

To win a seat from Karnataka, an RS candidate needs 56 votes. BJP will win two seats and Congress one. The fourth will go to a consensus candidate who can mop up surplus votes of Deve Gowda’s 27 MLAs and another 29. Vijay Mallya, who had represented the state in RS from 2002 to 2008 with the blessings of Gowda, is keen for a ticket.

A prominent industrialist from Andhra Pradesh, who has risen fast by developing airports, is also working hard to get into the upper house from his home state or any other state.

Mumbai industrialist Rahul Bajaj, an Independent member, is keen to be re-nominated to Rajya Sabha. Considering his close association with NCP chief and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, he is expected to get a re-nomination on an NCP ticket.