New Delhi, March 17 The Congress accused the BJP of "vote theft" in the Rajya Sabha elections in Haryana, asserting that strict action would be taken against MLAs who indulged in cross-voting.
This assertion came after Sanjay Bhatia and Karamvir Singh Boudh of the BJP were elected to the Rajya Sabha from Haryana, following a closely-watched election that went past midnight after allegations of violation of voting secrecy arose from both sides.
Boudh's narrow victory over Independent candidate Satish Nandal (63) was attributed to cross-voting, which undermined the Congress's comfortable position in securing an easy win.
While Bhatia (58), a former MP from Karnal, is a BJP leader, Boudh (61), a retired Haryana government employee and a prominent Dalit activist, is currently the coordinator of the National Scheduled Castes Department of the Congress.
Addressing a press conference here, Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda said, "I congratulate Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal, along with the entire leadership, on Karamvir Boudh's victory in the Rajya Sabha elections in Haryana."
Hooda alleged that the BJP "tried to destroy democracy" and "steal votes" under the cover of darkness in Haryana.
He claimed that the BJP had shown a lack of faith in democracy.
"The BJP just wants to seize power, but the Congress party's MLAs and vigilant workers ensured that the vote theft did not happen, and Karamvir Boudh Ji won," he said at the press conference with Congress's SC Department head Rajendra Pal Gautam.
The BJP sent Gujarat's Deputy Chief Minister to Haryana as an observer, and the BJP's high command wanted to win the Rajya Sabha seat at any cost, Hooda claimed.
"To win the seat, the BJP tried all sorts of tactics, including cross-voting, but the Congress party's MLAs foiled BJP's plans. The BJP's plan in the Rajya Sabha elections was to secure numbers through horse-trading, but when it failed, they activated their B-team, INLD, which didn't clarify its stand until the election day," Hooda said.
Hooda claimed that more than 30 votes had already been cast in favour of the Congress when INLD withdrew from voting.
After this, the BJP tried to resort to its third tactic, where they sought the Election Commission's help, Hooda alleged.
"The Returning Officer (RO) showed bias and cancelled our four votes, even though they were all valid. This was done after another election official had already placed the same votes in the valid tray. This shows that the BJP was indulging in 'vote theft' in the Rajya Sabha elections," Hooda said.
He said that some Congress MLAs in Haryana had engaged in cross-voting, and the party would take action against them. He added that the public would not forgive them.
"However, those MLAs who stood firmly with the party despite all temptations and pressures, with honesty and strength, have earned even greater respect among the people," he said.
"BJP leaders and the chief minister of Haryana had stated that the Congress party fielded a weak candidate, but those who considered a social worker weak have been given a befitting response by the MLAs. This is a victory of the Constitution," Hooda said.
Gautam said he was absolutely delighted that the Congress leadership has nominated a true Ambedkarite as the Rajya Sabha candidate.
"All the BJP leaders were calling Karamvir Boudh ji a weak candidate, because for the BJP, only people with money are strong. But the Congress is the party that can field even an ordinary worker in the Rajya Sabha elections," he said.
Two legislators of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) abstained from voting, reducing the number of valid votes to 88 in the 90-member Haryana Assembly at the beginning of polling.
Five votes were later declared invalid – four of the Congress and one of the BJP, the officials said.
INLD leaders Abhay Singh Chautala and Aditya Devi Lal said the party decided to abstain keeping people's sentiments in view.
After both the Congress and the BJP approached the Election Commission alleging violation of vote secrecy, the poll body declared Congress MLA Paramvir Singh's vote as invalid.
Bhatia won the first seat comfortably, polling 39 first-preference votes.
In the fight for the second seat, Boudh polled 28 votes, while Independent candidate Nandal got 16.
As per the formula devised for Rajya Sabha polls, the quota required to win one seat was 2,767 (vote value), and both Bhatia and Boudh crossed that limit, leaving no room for any further transfer of votes.
However, with five Congress MLAs allegedly cross-voting, Nandal could have secured Bhatia's 11 second preference votes, reaching 28, had one more Congress legislator cross-voted in the Independent candidate's favour.