"Whip"Lash For Akhilesh Yadav On Key Poll Day, Hours After Dinner Surprise

In a major setback to Samajwadi Party ahead of the voting for 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, its chief whip in the Assembly resigned this morning. The resignation of Manoj Kumar Pandey, MLA from Unchahar, came hours after as many as 8 MLAs skipped a dinner hosted by party chief Akhilesh Yadav  - a cause for worry amid the cross-voting buzz in the election to the Upper House.   

Besides hitting the SP's prospects in this key election, cross-voting will compound the party's worries months ahead of the general election. The SP will be contesting 63 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh as part of the INDIA alliance and a mutiny months before the polls will be a massive blow.   

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has said MLAs who break ranks and vote for BJP candidates will face expulsion. "We knew they would rebel when they skipped the dinner. There was a buzz that different packages have been offered. Those part of the mutiny will be expelled," he told NDTV after casting his vote in Assembly this morning. Earlier, he had said that he hoped all three candidates of Samajwadi Party win. "BJP can use all the tactics to win elections. Some of our leaders who want personal gains can go to the BJP," he had said.

A total of 56 Rajya Sabha seats became vacant this year. Forty-one candidates were elected unopposed. Of the remaining, 10 are in Uttar Pradesh, four in Karnataka and one in Himachal Pradesh.

For the 10 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 11 candidates are in the race -- 8 from the ruling BJP and 3 from main Opposition Samajwadi Party.

The BJP is confident of the victory of all its candidates, especially after it recently secured the support of the Jayant Chaudhary-led Rastriya Lok Dal. "We have the support of Nishad Party, Suhel Dev Samaj Party, Apna Dal, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Jansatta Dal. I am confident all 8 NDA candidates will win," state BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary has said.

Earlier, leaders of the BJP had claimed that a section of SP legislators were in touch with them. The Akhilesh Yadav-led party had denied this, but the absence of eight MLAs at last night's dinner has left the main Opposition worried.

Speaking to NDTV, SP legislator Zahid Baig said, "Many people did not come. Maybe they are busy. But if they have taken money (to cross-vote), people will not forgive them."

The BJP's eight candidates are former Union Minister RPN Singh, former MP Chaudhary Tejveer Singh, general secretary of BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit Amarpal Maurya, former state minister Sangeeta Balwant (Bind), party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, former MLA Sadhna Singh, former Agra mayor Naveen Jain and Sanjay Seth. The SP has fielded actor MP Jaya Bachchan, retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan and Ramji Lal Suman. The BJP has adequate numbers to get seven candidates elected, but its move to field an eighth has forced a contest. And it may succeed if cross-voting happens.

What's Happening in Karnataka, Himachal

Five candidates are in the contest for four Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka. The ruling Congress is confident of winning three seats, and the BJP-JDS combine has the numbers to win at least one. But the Opposition alliance's naming of a second candidate has made it an exciting contest. Taking no changes, the ruling Congress has shifted its MLAs to a private hotel. State party chief and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has denied any possibility of cross-voting.

In Himachal, only one seat is going to polls. The Congress has a comfortable strength in the Assembly, but the BJP has forced a contest by fielding a candidate.