For first time, Congress won’t have any MLC in UP Legislative Council

New Delhi: In one of the biggest setbacks for Congress, the party is set to lose its representation in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, as it won’t have any member left after July 6. The party is staring at blank representation in the Council for the first time since 1935, when it was formed. Currently, the party’s only member in Council is Deepak Singh and he will retire on July 6.

Congress has been in a downward spiral for years now and despite the Gandhis throwing their weight, the party hasn’t been able to arrest its downslide.

Rout in Lok Sabha polls, setbacks in Assembly elections have become common with the grand old party. And, now the party making ‘complete exit’ from the UP Legislative Council comes as no big surprise.

Deepak Singh, a committed member of the party since his college days in 1990s, was elected to the Upper House in 2016 and his term is expiring soon in July.

The revelation about Congress imminent ouster from Upper House makes its decimation complete in the state. A party which wielded enormous clout in the Hindi heartland during 1980s was decimated & reduced to mere 2 seats in UP Assembly elections 2022, ever lower than regional parties like Apna Dal & BSP. And, just a month later, it will cease to exist in the UP Legislative Council.

UP Vidhan Parishad has 100 seats, of which 38 are nominated by the UP Legislative Assembly members while 36 members are elected via the local bodies. 8 members are elected through graduate & teachers’ constituency polls while the remaining 10 seats are nominated by Governor, based on recommendation of state cabinet.

Currently, BJP remains the most dominant force in the state, followed by SP. BJP enjoys about 2/3rd majority in the Council, much like its clear majority in the House. Samajwadi Party has 14 members. Another party heading for blank representation is BSP, whose 3 MLCs will be retiring on July 6. Post that, it will have just 1 MLC.