New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday wrote to the Election Commission about the Rajya Sabha polls in Haryana, alleging there was a clear attempt to interfere with the integrity of the election, which must be redressed.
Along with his letter, Kharge attached a copy of the representation submitted to the poll body by Congress candidate Karamvir Singh Boudh.
In the letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and two election commissioners, the Congress chief also requested the poll panel that the legitimate votes of party legislators in Haryana should not be disqualified.
The BJP has complained to the poll authority about the “violation of vote secrecy” of two Congress MLAs.
Polling for the two Rajya Sabha seats in Haryana ended at 4 pm on Monday.
“There is a clear attempt to interfere with the integrity of the election and it must be stopped/ redressed by the ECI immediately. Furthermore, no disqualification of our legitimate voters/votes cast can be allowed in what is clearly a transparent attempt to taint/derail the process,” the Congress chief said.
“Given the time sensitive nature of the matter, we request time immediately for a delegation led by Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi along with senior leaders from the party to meet your good self before the declaration of the results,” he said.
“We have copied Shri Omar Hoda, National Coordinator from the AICC’s Law Department, for ease of communication,” Kharge said.
During the Rajya Sabha election, while the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which has two legislators, abstained from voting, the Congress MLAs, who were shifted to Himachal Pradesh, returned shortly after the polling began at 9 am and cast their votes.
In the fray are BJP candidate Sanjay Bhatia, Congress’s Boudh and Independent candidate Satish Nandal. The BJP is backing Nandal, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 assembly polls as its nominee.
Meanwhile, Haryana minister Krishan Kumar Bedi told reporters that the BJP has complained to the Election Commission pertaining to “violation of vote secrecy” of two Congress MLAs.
“Two Congress MLAs did not have their ballot folded as it should have been, thus violating the secrecy of their vote. We have complained to the Election Commission,” Bedi said.
The results are expected to be declared later in the evening.
In the 90-member Haryana assembly, the BJP has 48 MLAs, the Congress has 37, the INLD has two MLAs, and three legislators are Independents.
Two candidates would require 31 votes each to make it to the Rajya Sabha.
