Uttar Pradesh: Beni Prasad Varma, Salman Khurshid, Raj Babbar in Rajya Sabha race

Lucknow: With the announcement of the poll schedule, the race for Rajya Sabha has begun in right earnest in Uttar Pradesh.

Former Union ministers Beni Prasad Varma and Salman Khurshid and former MPs Nirmal Khatri and Raj Babbar are said to be top contenders for one seat in the Congress camp.

The Congress has 28 MLAs in the state Assembly and will need the support of ten more legislators to get one candidate into the Upper House since a candidate needs 38 votes to get through the contest.

The Rashtriya Lok Dal has eight MLAs but there is no doubt that it will support the Congress only if the candidate happens to be its president Chaudhary Ajit Singh.

According to party sources, the Congress wants to increase its own strength in the Rajya Sabha and feels it would be better to put up its own candidate rather than extend support to the RLD president.

“We have communicated to the party high command that the mood in the party is against the nomination of Mr Ajit Singh. Party workers want the Congress to send its own candidate to Rajya Sabha than extend favours to allies.

Mr Beni Prasad Varma is a favourite with the party leadership but you cannot rule out cross voting in the party since he has ruffled a lot of feathers already. Mr Khurshid could also be a victim of factionalism.