Bangalore, June 16, DHNS: Industrialist and JD(S)-backed independent candidate Vijay Mallya is set to sail through Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for Thursday. This also implies that one of the Congress’ candidates, in all probability T V Maruthi, is unlikely to get the required number of votes to make it to RS.
The BJP Legislature Party, which met on Wednesday to discuss the party’s strategy for the polls, decided to give away its excess votes to Mallya to ensure that the Congress does not win two seats.
Mallya, who already has the support of 27 JD(S) MLAs and one independent, needs 17 votes for his victory, while the BJP has 31 excess votes. The party has a total of 120 votes, including five independent MLAs who are ministers.
Though State BJP President K S Eshwarappa did not openly declare that his party will support Mallya, he made it amply clear the by saying that the BJP will not allow the Congress win two seats.
According to sources, the ruling BJP will direct its MLAs to give first preference votes to Mallya, besides two of its official candidates -- Venkaiah Naidu and Ayanur Manjunath. If this done, the Congress will have little chance to work out any strategy to win two seats.
The BJP has convened a meeting of leaders at the Chief Minister’s residence on Thursday morning to decide on its voting pattern. The party has also decided to issue a whip to its MLAs indicating as to whom they should give first preference votes.
The Congress, with 75 MLAs, has to be content with only one seat -- Oscar Fernandes. The Congress Legislature party, which met to discuss ways to get Maruthi elected, could not work out any strategy. Instead, the party MLAs made use of the forum to air their complaints against Rajya Sabha members, sources said. Mallya learnt to have met Venkaiah Naidu at Kumarakrupa guest house on Wednesday evening.
Preferential poll
As per the formula stipulated under the RP Act, a candidate requires 45 first preference votes for election. As per the formula, every vote will be counted as 100 votes. The formula is: Total number of votes (223) multiplied by 100 (22,300). This will be divided by total number of seats plus 1, which is equal to 4460. Again 1 is added to this number, to make it 4461 votes. Accordingly, a candidate needs 4461 votes or to put it simply 44.61 votes.
If MLAs of all three parties give first preference votes as per the directions of their respective party, four candidates will be easily elected. In the event of MLAs cross voting and candidates in the fray falling short of required first preference votes, then the second preference voters will be taken into consideration.
Again the same formula will be applied to determine the votes required for the election. That is total number of valid second preference votes will be divided number of candidates still remaining in the fray. Whoever gets the highest number of second preference votes will be declared elected.
Highlights
* Five candidates in fray for four seats -- Venkaiah Naidu, Ayanur Manjunath (both BJP), Oscar Fernandes, T V Maruthi (both Cong) & Vijay Mallya (IND).
* MLAs are voters in the polls.
* Preferential polling system is followed.
* It is open ballot system
* Counting of votes will be done after 5 pm.