A surprise candidate has entered the fray in Madhya Pradesh's Rajya Sabha election, turning the contest into a thriller. The BJP, with 164 MLAs, has fielded senior leaders Tarun Chugh and Rajneesh Agrawal, but the saffron party's third candidate, Mahesh Kevat, has thrown a spanner in the works.
The Congress, with 61 MLAs, is still in the running, but the party's fear of cross-voting and defections has led it to shift its legislators to Bengaluru, where they will stay until voting day.
The BJP has rubbished allegations of offering money to Congress MLAs, but the Congress has decided to take no chances, with party leaders insisting that this is aimed at keeping the flock together.
The June 18 Rajya Sabha elections will see voting for 24 seats across 10 states, with the BJP-led NDA looking to strengthen its numbers in the Upper House.
