BJP's Big Gift To Samajwadi Party Turncoats, 3 MLAs To Get Lok Sabha Tickets: Sources

The Uttar Pradesh Samajwadi Party MLAs who cross-voted in Tuesday's Rajya Sabha polls are set to get big barters from the Bharatiya Janata Party, sources have told Zee  News TV. Sources indicate that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may offer a Lok Sabha ticket to Ashutosh Maurya, a dissenting legislator from the Samajwadi Party, who voted in favour of the BJP. Additionally, Manoj Pandey is poised to be the BJP's candidate from Rae Bareli in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, signaling a reward for lawmakers who backed the BJP in the Rajya Sabha elections. Ritesh Pandey, the son of Rakesh Pandey, is expected to secure a Lok Sabha ticket from Ambedkar Nagar. Other notable individuals, including Rakesh Pratap Singh, Abhay Singh, Vinod Chaturvedi, and Pooja Pal, are also likely to be recognized by the BJP.

BJP Outsmarts SP In RS Poll

Capitalizing on the support from party switchers, the BJP outperformed the Samajwadi Party, securing eight of the 10 seats in the recent Rajya Sabha elections in Lucknow on Tuesday. "This victory is merely a preview. The main event will occur in May 2024 with a decisive victory for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections," Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya stated.

Initially, the ruling party was anticipated to win only seven seats, with the opposition alliance, led by the SP, targeting three. The political dynamics shifted significantly last week with the entrance of Sanjay Seth and the Rashtriya Lok Dal into the National Democratic Alliance. The inclusion of Seth, a businessman-turned-politician who left the Samajwadi Party for the BJP in 2019, significantly shifted the balance of power. The tension heightened as several SP leaders, including the former chief whip Manoj Pandey, openly sided with the BJP.

Aim At Mission 80

The NDA, which won 64 seats in the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 is aiming to clean sweep in Uttar Pradesh by winning all 80 seats. This is also crucial to the BJP's target of winning 400 Parliamentary seats in the 2024 polls.