Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary could be the joint candidate of Samajwadi Party-RLD for the Rajya Sabha election from Uttar Pradesh.
The SP and RLD contested Assembly elections together in Uttar Pradesh. However, the alliance failed to dislodge the BJP government. While the SP pocketed 111 seats, the RLD secured 8 seats.
Sources said that Jayant will soon meet Akhilesh and a formal announcement will be made thereafter.
Uttar Pradesh elects 31 members to the Rajya Sabha. As many as 11 seats will fall vacant in June and elections will be held to elect new MPs. Of the 11 retiring MPs, five are of the BJP, three of SP, two of BSP and one of the Congress.
Given the strength of the BJP-led NDA in the 403-member Legislative Assembly, it will be able to win seven seats easily. The ruling alliance has 273 MLAs (BJP 255, Apna Dal 12, NISHAD 6). The SP and its allies, having 125 MLAs (SP 111, RLD 8 and SBSP 6), will be able to win three seats.
The two parties will battle it out for the 11th seat for which both SP and BJP will seek the support of other parties like Jansatta Dal Loktantrik of Raja Bhaiyya and Congress which have two MLAs each. The BSP has one MLA.
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