Lucknow: Hours before the crucial Rajya Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh scheduled for Saturday, Gujarat-based social worker Preeti Mahapatra, who created a flutter in the political circles here and forced a contest by filing her nomination with promise of support from the Bharatiya Janata Party, remained huddled in meetings. Around the same time, news of BJP's MLC candidate losing poured in on Friday evening. Preeti's businessman husband Harihara Mahapatra met MLAs ahead of the polls.
Tension was palpable in the camp as BJP's official second candidate for MLC polls, Dayashanker Singh, could not make it to the legislative council by a margin of just seven votes.
While Mahapatra is an independent candidate, with the promise of seven votes from the BJP, party leaders have been working hard to ensure her win.
While national vice-president and heavyweight from Gujarat Purushottam Rupala has been camping in Lucknow for the past few days, national general secretary Anil Jain too has been in the city for some time now. Jain left Lucknow after meeting UP BJP chief Keshav Maurya on Friday afternoon.
Sources revealed that Preeti Mahapatra has been holding parleys with MLAs from other parties at various locations including her relative's house in Gomtinagar and also at another house in Mahanagar.
While Preeti Mahapatra could not be contacted, her phone was received by someone who claimed to be her secretary said that she is busy meeting leaders in the city.
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