Lucknow: A 37-year old businesswoman, with interests in fashion, ‘perfumery, cosmetics and skin care’ and social work has upset the apple cart of septuagenarian politicians in Uttar Pradesh.
Preeti Mahapatra, the independent candidate who has forced an election on the 11 Rajya Sabha seats that would have otherwise been won unopposed in Uttar Pradesh, is now threatening to make inroads into the Samajwadi Party and the Congress
Preeti, who is the 12th candidate in the RS elections, is being supported by the BJP and 16 BJP MLAs have proposed her name. The BJP has only 7 surplus votes to offer to Preeti after ensuring the victory of their official candidate Shiv Pratap Shukla.
To win the seat, Preeti requires 27 additional votes (to win a candidate needs 34 votes) and she is obviously eyeing the disgruntled elements in other parties.
“I have done my homework seriously before coming here. I have been asking everybody to vote for me on their ‘atma ki awaaz’. You will on June 11 that legislators cutting across party lines will vote for me. I am grateful that the BJP has officially decided to support me with their surplus votes,” she says.
Rampal Yadav, an expelled SP MLA, is even more confident than Preeti about her victory. “Just you wait and watch. There will be many more from SP who will cross vote,” he said.
