Keen contest on cards for UP Council polls

A keen contest is on the cards in the biennial elections for 12 Legislative Council seats in Uttar Pradesh, with ruling Samajwadi Party and main opposition BSP declaring an additional candidate each and BJP too planning the same.
As the state Assembly has 403 members, first preference votes of 31 MLAs would be needed to ensure victory of one candidate for the Upper House in the January 23 polling.
While SP and Bahujan Samaj Party have fielded an additional candidate each, Bharatiya Janata Party is planning to do the same by giving chance to an additional candidate.
Congress too will field a candidate. The party has 28 MLAs and will have to arrange for three more votes to ensure a victory.

Uttar Pradesh incharge of Congress, Madhusudan Mistry said the party will field its own candidate and not support anyone else.
SP with 230 MLAs is expected to have a smooth sailing in seven Council seats.

Keeping in mind its 13 surplus votes, SP is contesting an additional seat, expecting cross voting to garner the remaining votes.
BSP with 80 MLAs will easily manage two seats, but with a surplus of 18 votes, it would require support of 13 MLAs from outside to ensure victory of its third candidate.
BJP, on the other hand, has 41 MLAs and can ensure victory of only one candidate, leaving a surplus of 10 votes. However, according to state party chief Laxmi Kant Bajpai, the party will be fielding two candidates.