Chandigarh, March 13 – In an attempt to maintain party unity, the Congress moved its Haryana MLAs to Himachal Pradesh ahead of the polling for two Rajya Sabha seats in Haryana on March 16, according to sources.
The key contenders in the election are BJP's Sanjay Bhatia, Congress' Karamvir Singh Boudh, and BJP-backed Independent candidate Satish Nandal.
The MLAs departed from Chandigarh in the late afternoon.
With 37 members in the Assembly, the Congress has the necessary strength to ensure its candidate wins a seat. However, this could be jeopardized if there is cross-voting.
While Congress leaders and MLAs present at a legislative party meeting in Chandigarh did not disclose their destination, sources indicated that they have been taken to Himachal Pradesh, a neighboring state governed by the party.
The MLAs are expected to return shortly before the voting.
The Congress MLAs gathered at the residence of CLP leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda, where the meeting was held, and subsequently left in two tempo vans.
Hooda asserted that his party's candidate will win, and potentially secure more than 37 votes.
Haryana Congress president Rao Narender Singh and party general secretary in charge of Haryana, B K Hariprasad, along with other party MPs including Deepender Singh Hooda and Varun Chaudhary, were also accompanying the party legislators.
However, at least five legislators were unable to attend due to prior family commitments or health reasons. Bhupinder Singh Hooda is also staying back.
Before departing, Congress MLA Jassi Petwar, while speaking to reporters, did not reveal their destination, but stated they were attending a "training session" as nearly half of the party legislators are first-timers, and the voting process in the Rajya Sabha elections involves technical aspects.
Two Rajya Sabha seats are vacant in Haryana. BJP members Kiran Choudhry and Ram Chander Jangra are set to complete their terms on April 9.
The ruling BJP has 48 MLAs, Congress has 37, INLD has two MLAs, and three legislators are Independents in the 90-member Haryana Assembly, with 31 votes each required for two candidates to secure a seat in the Rajya Sabha.
In 2022, Congress candidate Ajay Maken had lost in the Rajya Sabha elections from Haryana despite the party having the required 31 votes.
In a setback for the Congress, BJP's Krishan Lal Panwar and BJP-JJP backed Independent candidate Kartikeya Sharma were declared elected for the two Rajya Sabha seats in Haryana in June 2022.
In the previous Assembly, Congress had 31 MLAs in the 90-member Assembly, which was sufficient to secure Maken's victory. However, then party legislator Kuldeep Bishnoi (now with the BJP) cross-voted, and another vote was declared invalid.
Speaking to reporters at his residence after the MLAs left, Hooda asserted that Congress' Karamvir Singh will win one of the two seats.
Hooda stated that all 37 MLAs participated in the Congress Legislature Party meeting.
"Our candidate will receive all 37 votes, and potentially more," Hooda said.
When asked about the whereabouts of the Congress MLAs, Hooda, who mostly adopted a light-hearted tone during the media interaction, stated, "I have not sent them anywhere; they may have gone on their own. But I did not send anyone... but they will return before the voting."
"I don't know who has gone where and who has not," Hooda said in response to another query.
When asked if the Congress was engaging in "resort politics" due to fears of cross-voting, he said, "Who is doing resort politics?"
Asked that the State Congress chief and party's Haryana affairs incharge are accompanying the legislators, he still does not have information where they have gone, Hooda quipped, "What do I know, have they asked me? You should have asked them."
To another query, Hooda said that no rival candidate or party had approached any Congress MLA. No MLA is going to accept anyone's pressure.
The MLAs will show their marked ballot to an authorized agent, he said in response to another query.
Regarding Independent candidate Nandal relying on cross-voting from the Congress to secure a win, Hooda, who was recently asked that there were speculations that some Congress legislators may cross-vote, had replied, "Such speculations are only in the media."
Nandal, who unsuccessfully contested the 2019 assembly polls as a BJP nominee, filed his nomination as an Independent on Thursday, becoming the third entrant in the contest after Sanjay Bhatia and Karamvir Singh Boudh.
Polling will be held on March 16 between 9 am and 4 pm, and votes will be counted from 5 pm on the same day.