LUCKNOW: With a majority of Independents, including Ministers, throwing their lot with industrialist Sudhanshu Mittal, Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav faces a daunting task to ensure victory of all six candidates of the ruling SP-RLD alliance in the coming Rajya Sabha polls from Uttar Pradesh.

The ruling Samajwadi Party, which has a strength of 189, excluding five rebel BSP MLAs who returned to their parent party after the High Court judgement, in the Vidhan Sabha, has fielded five candidates.

Its alliance partner Rashtriya Lok Dal with a strength of 14 MLAs has fielded one candidate.

As a candidate requires 37 first preference votes to sail through in a House of 403, the SP could ensure victory of all its candidates but in such a scenario the lone RLD nominee would face problems as he would be left with support of only 18 MLAs, including four of the SP.

Though the SP-led Government claimed support of 224 MLAs during the recent confidence motion in the State Assembly, only 207 votes were polled in its favour.

The ruling alliance's calculations seemed to have gone awry with a majority of 16 Independents and 11 members of smaller outfits, who are supporting the Government, proposing the name of Sudhanshu Mittal, an Independent, for a Rajya Sabha berth.

Mr. Mittal's proposals included three Ministers besides the five MLAs who were earlier suspended from BJP.

The industrialist, said to be close to BJP General Secretary Pramod Mahajan, had mustered support of as many as 20 MLAs as his proposers.- PTI

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