By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: The BJP National VP-Spokesperson and 4th times former MP, Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda acting as Trouble Shooter for BJP in MP Rajya Sabha Polls.
For Friday’s Rajya Sabha elections for three seats from Madhya Pradesh, BJP National VP-Spokesperson, Panda is camping at Bhopal along with Union Minister Prakash Javedkar since past two days. Panda also discussed the issue with another Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. He also met MLA Om Prakash Sakhalecha and others.
He expressed confidence that both their nominees – former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sumer Singh Solanki – will win the polls. Scindia parted ways with the Congress in March this year and joined the BJP.
Both BJP and the opposition Congress have fielded two candidates each for the three seats of the Upper House of Parliament.
The Congress has nominated party veteran Digvijaya Singh, who is seeking a second term in the Upper House, and Dalit leader from GwaliorChambal region Phool Singh Baraiya.
In the 230-member Assembly, the BJP currently has 107 MLAs and also enjoys the support of two legislators of the Bahujan Samaj Party, one of the Samajwadi Party and two Independents, while the opposition Congress has 92 MLAs. Currently, the effective strength of the House is 206, as 24 seats are lying vacant.
The Congress has already asked 54 of its MLAs to vote for Digvijaya Singh, who needs 52 votes to re-enter the Rajya Sabha, sources said. In March, 22 Congress MLAs resigned following which the Kamal Nath-led state government collapsed.
