Yogi, Parrikar, Maurya to stay MPs till Prez election

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 30

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya and Goa CM Manohar Parrikar are unlikely to resign from Parliament until the Presidential poll scheduled for July.

Conscious of the number shortfall in the Electoral College for the Presidential poll comprising the elected members of the two Houses of Parliament and state Assemblies, the BJP leadership, it is learnt, has asked its three MPs – Yogi, Maurya (Lok Sabha) and Parrikar (Rajya Sabha) – not to resign before the July vote.

Their immediate resignation will add to the current shortfall of 24,522 in vote value by another 2,124.  

Confirming about the directive given to the three MPs, sources in the BJP said the Constitution allows them to have “six months to become a member of their respective legislative Assemblies” from the date of joining the new government(s). Thus, “mid-August would be deadline for them to become member of the state legislature, which they will abide by”.

Given that the UP legislature is bi-cameral, when asked if Yogi and Maurya would take the Legislative Council route, a BJP functionary said, “No. They will contest the Assembly election. We will discuss it with our state unit and get the seats vacated for them.”

Also, the party has to look for an Assembly seat for UP Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma, who resigned as mayor of Lucknow, the functionary said.

Presidential electoral college

Total MPs: 776 | Value of each MP’s vote: 708 

Total MLAs: 4,120 | Total value: 10.98 lakh votes

NDA is short of 24,522 votes

Highest value of MLA vote: UP (208)

Value of NDA votes: 5,24,920 (BJP: 4,33,128)

.