The Rajya Sabha polls take place tomorrow across 15 states and amidst controversy - a cash for votes scandal in Kerala, defiant legislators in Haryana and surprise independent candidates who upset the apple cart in Uttar Pradesh. In fact there's an extra candidate in at least six states and their presence, forcing a contest, has also opened up scope for all sorts of pulls and pressures. As political parties are in a last minute scramble to get the numbers they need, the question is whether the Congress will be able to retain its majority in the Upper House, and if so by how much. Parliament has seen several bills fall by the wayside over politics, passed in one house and blocked by the other.
