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Monday, Nov 10, 2008
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Congress, SP to back independent

K.V. Prasad

Mohammed Adeeb Khan named for Rajya Sabha poll after Sonia-Mulayam meet

NEW DELHI: The Congress and the Samajwadi Party on Sunday decided to back independent Mohammed Adeeb Khan for the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.

The selection of Mr. Khan, a low-profile political worker, came after a meeting between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her SP counterpart Mulayam Singh here on Saturday.

“It was decided after a meeting of the two leaders that both parties will back Mr. Khan, who will contest as an independent,” AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh told The Hindu here.

The announcement shows that while the SP managed to spike the Congress’ move to field its former Uttar Pradesh State Congress chief Salman Khursheed, the latter did not agree to back SP’s Maharashtra leader Abu Azmi, whose term ends this month. Mr. Khan, according to party sources, has been associated with Mr. Khursheed and is considered close to respected Nadwa establishment.

BSP can win 6 seats

The current strength in the Uttar Pradesh Legislature allows the Bahujan Samaj Party to take six of the 10 Rajya Sabha seats for which polls are scheduled on November 21. The SP can win two seats on its own, while the Bharatiya Janata Party can get one. There was a tussle for the 10th seat, which intensified after the Congress and the SP realised that together they could have an extra representative in the Council of States. The Congress has 21 votes and the SP 16.

The decision to back Mr. Khan is also to ensure that the Congress does not lose out in projecting itself as a party that gives representation to minorities.

Prefers LS poll

PTI reports from Chandigarh:

Mr. Khursheed said here that he was a “Lok Sabha man” and preferred to contest next year’s elections, though his name was considered for the RS election.

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