BJP's UP ally threatens party with boycotting Rajya Sabha polls

Lucknow: The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief and Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar on Monday threatened to boycott voting for the upcoming Rajya Sabha (RS) elections, if he is not allowed to speak to BJP president Amit Shah.

Rajbhar said, "If I don't get to speak to BJP President Amit Shah, I will boycott the voting for Rajya Sabha elections."

The BJP has the numbers to send its eight candidates to the Rajya Sabha, the SBSP, which has four MLAs in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly, holds key to the fate of its ninth nominee.

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The Rajya Sabha polls are scheduled for March 23.

There will be 59 vacancies in the Rajya Sabha in April, including 17 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and 12 from the Congress party.