The Samajwadi Party-led coalition in Uttar Pradesh is facing issues ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls. The Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) has announced it will abstain from voting, citing objections to the SP’s choice of candidates, including actor Jaya Bachchan and retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan. The party is concerned that the candidates do not belong to the Picchde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak group that the SP-led Mahagathbandhan is targeting for the upcoming general election. This decision comes after another former ally, Rashtriya Lok Dal, joined the ruling NDA fold. The SP is seeking to win three of the state’s 10 Rajya Sabha seats, requiring a total of 111 votes with the support of its allies. Pallavi Patel, the lone MLA from Apna Dal (K), has raised objections to the nominations and emphasized the importance of representing the backwards, Dalits, and minorities. She has indicated that the party is open for talks and is committed to the PDA cause. Additionally, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has promised to accommodate more PDA members in future candidate lists. The Rajya Sabha polls are set to take place on 27 February, and the SP’s numbers currently look precarious, with RLD switching sides and two of the SP’s MLAs in jail.
Ally Apna Dal (K) accuses Samajwadi Party of fraudulent Rajya Sabha list
