A surprise BJP candidate has turned MP's Rajya Sabha race into a thriller

AHired flight of stairs to Bengaluru. Allegations of bags replete(p) of cash in. A surprisal candidate entering the race. Madhya Pradesh's Rajya Sabha election on June 18 has all the ingredients of a political drama. And it raises a key question: Who will win the state's third seat?In the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly, a Rajya Sabha candidate needs 58 votes to secure victory. The BJP, with 164 MLAs, has enough strength to easily win two of the three vacant seats. The party fielded senior leaders Tarun Chugh and Rajneesh Agrawal.ALSO READ | Rajya Sabha elections: Congress to fly MP MLAs to Karnataka amid poaching fearsThe wildcard entryThen, the saffron Party announced a third candidate. BJP's Mahesh Kevat, chairman of the Madhya Pradesh fishermen welfare board, is to contest against Congress nominee Meenakshi Natarajan.Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav said, “The BJP has shown its commitment to all sections of society by providing representation to [Mahesh Kevat] in the Upper House,” as per news agency ANI. The numbers gameWith 164 MLAs, the BJP requires 116 votes to win two Rajya Sabha seats, leaving it with 48 votes for its third candidate.Congress, though, has been dealing with a series of setbacks. The party is left with 61 MLAs after MLA Rajendra Bharti's membership was revoked. The Madhya Pradesh High Court also barred Congress MLA Mukesh Malhotra from voting.Nirmala Sapre, who was elected on a Congress ticket, is expected to support the BJP in the Rajya Sabha election, HT reported earlier. The party also has the support of Bharatiya Adivasi Party MLA Kamleshwar Dodiyar.On paper, Congress still appears to have a narrow edge in the contest for the third seat.ALSO READ | BJP fields third Rajya Sabha candidate in Madhya Pradesh contestWhy is Congress flying MLAs to Bengaluru?If the numbers seem to favour Congress, why are its MLAs boarding flights to Karnataka? The answer lies in the party's fear of cross-voting and defections.Congress leaders have alleged that BJP functionaries have approached some of their legislators and offered them money ahead of the election. Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar claimed some MLAs informed him that the saffron party wanted to “buy” them and approached them with “bags full of notes”, PTI reported. The BJP has rubbished these allegations.To avoid any surprises, Congress has decided to shift its legislators to Bengaluru, where they are expected to stay until voting day. Why Karnataka? Because it is a Congress-ruled state. The lawmakers are being flown out in batches and are likely to return to Bhopal shortly before polling on June 18.BJP spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai said Congress would not have needed to fly its MLAs out of the state if it was confident of their support.Party leaders insist this is aimed at keeping the flock together. Congress lawmaker Vikrant Bhuria said on Monday, “They are trying to kill constitutional rights, but we would not allow this,” HT reported earlier.The shadow of 2020The Congress’ fear is based on a political episode six years ago. In 2020, the Kamal Nath government collapsed after Jyotiraditya Scindia and 22 Congress MLAs switched sides. This made way for the BJP's return to power in Madhya Pradesh.This remains one of the biggest setbacks for the Congress in the state.Madhya Pradesh elections 2026The 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.The BJP is currently the largest party in the Rajya Sabha with 113 members, while the BJP-led NDA's tally stands at 149 in the 245-member House. Of the 24 seats going to polls, 12 are currently held by the BJP and four by the Congress.By-elections will also be held for one seat each in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.(With inputs from Shruti Tomar)