by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
BJP votes for TMC,
Congress faces humiliating defeat
Voting was for ESIC Board member
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, July 10
In an unprecedented move, the BJP members of the Rajya Sabha overwhelmingly voted for arch-rival TMC candidate Dola Sen today.
The BJP high command directed its MPs that they should vote for the TMC candidate Dola Sen who was embroiled in a multi-corner contest for the membership of the Employees State Insurance Corporation. A member of the Rajya Sabha is chosen on the board of the ESIC. The BJP had not fielded its candidate and the Opposition parties were supposed to field a common candidate. But the Congress refused to support the TMC candidate Dola Sen and thought it will grab the post on the basis of sheer numbers. Dola sen, however, got 90 votes out of 156 total votes polled. Interestingly, the TMC has only 13 votes in the rajya Sabha. Pradeep bhattacharya of Congress faced worst humiliation when he lost. The CPM had also fielded E Karim who polled 8 votes.
This exposed chinks in the armory of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and the BJP took full advantage.
