BJP gains in U.P, Himachal RS polls amid cross-voting

The election results for four seats in Karnataka, 10 in Uttar Pradesh and one in Himachal Pradesh are out.

The Congress bagged the majority three seats, while the BJP won one seat. One BJP MLA cross-voted, while another abstained from voting. The JD(S) nominee lost.

The winning Congress candidates are Ajay Maken, Syed Naseer Hussain, and GC Chandrasekhar. Winning BJP candidate is Narayana Bandage.

In Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla, BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan won, defeating the Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Six Congress MLAs and three Independent MLAs reportedly cross voted in the elections in the BJP’s favour.

This comes as a big blow to the Congress government in the hill state as the party is in majority there.

The BJP has claimed that the Congress has been reduced to a minority in the assembly after the Rajya Sabha polls.

Meanwhile, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said 5-6 Congress MLAs have been taken by the BJP.

On the 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP won on eight as the Samajwadi Party (SP) won two seats.

This is also seen as a big win for the BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls as the SP had anticipated win on three seats.

The loss of one of three seats hints at cross-voting in favour of the BJP.