10 BJP candidates among 13 elected unopposed to UP legislative council

The BJP had put up 10 candidates, including two UP ministers Mahendra Singh and Mohsin Raza for Uttar Pradesh legislative council polls.

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Lucknow: All 13 candidates, including two ministers, were on Thursday declared elected unopposed to the Uttar Pradesh legislative council.

The BJP had put up 10 candidates, including two UP ministers Mahendra Singh and Mohsin Raza. The BJP's ally Apna Dal (S) had also nominated one candidate.

The SP and the BSP fielded one candidate each.

"Today was the last date for withdrawal of nominations for 13 seats and since no one withdrew from the fray, all the 13 candidates were declared elected," Returning Officer Ashok Chaubey said.

The BSP had nominated BR Ambedkar, who lost in the recent Rajya Sabha polls in the state to the BJP, days after the SP and the BSP joined hands to defeat the saffron party in the prestigious Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls. 

The SP fielded its state unit president Naresh Uttam. 

Before the election, the BJP had 13 members and SP 61 in the 100-member House. The BSP had nine members, the Congress had two and the RLD had one. Others had 12 seats in the House. 

The BJP and allies will be far short of a majority in the Upper House even after today's election result. Two seats are still vacant.