New Delhi, (Asian independent) Congress leader Kapil Sibal, whose term as Rajya Sabha member has expired, may get re-elected to the upper house of Parliament from Jharkhand or UP, with the support of JMM or Samajwadi Party, respectively.
In 2016, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from UP as Congress candidate supported by the then ruling Samajwadi Party but now the Congress has only 2 MLAs in the state Assembly so it is not in position to elect anybody.
In UP, where the elections to 11 seats is due, the BJP can win seven and the Samajwadi Party three – and the latter will still have 20 surplus votes. However, a problem will arise for the 11th seat if the BJP fields its eighth candidate, which will necessitate an election. And it is here the surplus votes will be key. However, the ruling BJP has an advantage as it needs less than 10 votes but the opposition is short of 15 votes.
In Jharkhand, the situation for a Congress-backed candidate are better as the party is in the ruling alliance and can win one seat. The Congress had last time conceded the seat to the JMM and this time, is claiming the seat for itself.
While Sibal is legally involved in court cases of JMM and Samajwadi Party leaders in various high courts and the Supreme Court, so it is speculated that the parties may be favourable to his candidature, while close aides say that he is waiting for the Congress official list.
The Congress can elect eight Rajya Sabha members from Rajasthan, Karnataka, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and two more can come with support of allies in Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand.
Sibal, Anand Sharma and P. Chidambaram are hopefuls. Sharma is hoping to be elected from Haryana, but sources say Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala are contenders too. Chidambaram may get a renomination from his home state of Tamil Nadu.
