Haryana Rajya Sabha Poll: Ruling BJP, Opposition Congress Bag 1 Seat Each Amid 'Vote Secrecy Violations’ Charges

Chandigarh: The ruling BJP and the opposition party Congress won one seat each in the Rajya Sabha election amid allegations of ``vote secrecy violations’’, here late Monday night.

Counting Dragged Past Midnight Amid Objections

The counting for the votes for the Monday election ended past midnight in the wake of objections raised by both the parties which were sent to Election Commission of India and subsequently, the BJP candidate Sanjay Bhatia and Congress’ Karamvir Boudh were declared winners.

Besides Bhatia and Boudh, a BJP leader Satish Nandal was also in the fray as an independent candidate. Singed by its debacles in the past two RS polls despite numbers, the Congress had taken its MLAs to Shimla prior to polling to prevent ``horse trading’’ by BJP.

83 Votes Polled After Invalidations

For record, in the House of 90, BJP has 48 MLAs, Congress, 37, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), two and there are three Independent MLAs. Since INLD MLAs had abstained from voting and four Congress votes and one BJP vote were declared invalid after objections, in all 83 votes were polled.

While Bhatia won with 39 (first preference) votes, Boudh got 28 votes, Nandal lost as he got 16.

RUCKUS OVER CROSS-VOTING IN HOUSE

Meanwhile, pandemonium prevailed over the issue of cross voting in the Rajya Sabha election in the ongoing budget session of the assembly on Tuesday.

Ruckus erupted after Congress MLA Raghuvir Kadian raised the issue of the Rajya Sabha election asking while both the parties – BJP and Congress – had the requisite numbers for one seat each, why did BJP bring the third candidate and that it was ``the murder of democracy’’.

Din gripped the House as the Congress MLAs began raising slogans of ``vote chor, gaddi chhod’’ against the BJP and the treasury benches raising slogans to counter them. They showed number 9 with both hands – apparently referring to the five cross-votes and four invalid votes of Congress, totalling nine. Chief minister Nayab Saini also said that there was lack of trust within Congress and it was why it took its MLAs to Shimla.

When the ruckus continued with the Congress MLAs coming to the Well of the House and shouting slogans, Speaker Harvinder Kalyan who adjourned the House. However, when the situation aggravated after the House resumed, the Speaker named several MLAs of Congress following which they staged a walkout.