Chandigarh, March 17 – The Haryana Assembly witnessed a chaotic scene on Tuesday after the main opposition party, the Congress, raised concerns about the Rajya Sabha elections, alleging "election fraud".
During the uproar, the House saw frequent disruptions, a brief adjournment, and the Speaker naming eight Congress MLAs. Subsequently, the opposition party members staged a walkout.
BJP's Sanjay Bhatia (58) and Karamvir Singh Boudh (61) of the Congress were elected to the Rajya Sabha from Haryana after the counting for the keenly contested seats went past midnight, following allegations of vote tampering by both sides.
Boudh's narrow victory over Independent candidate Satish Nandal (63) was significant, as cross-voting by five Congress MLAs dented the party's comfortable position of securing an easy win. Four of the Congress's votes were also declared invalid during the counting.
In the Haryana Assembly on Tuesday, after the Question Hour, senior Congress member Raghuvir Singh Kadian questioned the BJP's intentions for allowing its own leader, Satish Nandal, to contest the Rajya Sabha election from Haryana, despite knowing that the Congress had the required numerical strength to win the second seat.
Alleging election fraud, Kadian stated that since it was impossible for an Independent candidate to win, the BJP still allowed Nandal to contest, raising doubts about their intentions. "What was the need to bring in a third candidate?" he asked.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Hooda said that he had maintained from the beginning that both BJP and Congress had the numerical strength to win one seat each in the contest for the two Rajya Sabha seats in Haryana.
"I was surprised when the BJP allowed their party leader to contest as an Independent. Everyone saw how they indulged in 'vote chori' in the 2024 Haryana Assembly polls," Hooda said.
He further stated that the BJP had made it clear that anyone could contest, and that Sanjay Bhatia was their candidate, while Nandal had entered the contest as an Independent.
As Kadian raised the issue in the Assembly, Speaker Harvinder Kalyan told him that the issue he was raising did not pertain to the Assembly.
"If your issue pertains to an election, if any party has any objection, then there is a provision in law, and it should be kept before the appropriate platform," the Speaker told Kadian.
Soon after, the Congress MLAs stood up and raised slogans in the House, leading to repeated disruptions of proceedings.
As the uproar continued, the Speaker adjourned the House for 15 minutes.
When proceedings resumed, Kalyan warned the Congress MLAs who were disrupting the session. However, when the opposition did not yield, the Speaker suspended Vikas Saharan, Jassi Petwar, Balram Dangi, Induraj Narwal, Devender Hans, Shakuntala Khatak, Mandeep Chatha, and Balwan Singh Doulatpuria for the remainder of the day.
Later, the remaining Congress members staged a walkout.
Before walking out, Hooda tried to raise the issue of the Rajya Sabha election. However, the Speaker told him that the results of the Rajya Sabha election cannot be discussed in the Assembly.
"A 'manthan' (deliberation) on election results can't be held here. That you can discuss within the party," Kalyan said.
Hooda said, "We are public representatives. What happened yesterday should be discussed here. What is the House? It is a symbol of democracy."
Hooda accused the treasury benches of mocking democratic norms.
Minister Krishan Bedi alleged that he received threats from Congress members during the Rajya Sabha election counting and added that he was contemplating filing a police complaint.
Bedi slammed the Congress for their conduct in the House which caused repeated disruptions, and moved a censure motion which passed by a voice vote in the absence of the opposition Congress.
Speaking to mediapersons outside the Assembly, Bedi, while referring to five Congress MLAs allegedly cross-voting in the RS polls and four of the votes of the grand old party legislators being declared invalid, said Congress should introspect why their MLAs are defecting and losing trust in their leadership.
"Congress MLAs have lost trust in Hooda, and he should resign as CLP leader," he said.
Speaking in the House, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that it has been Congress's habit to level false charges and then run away.
Congress's Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda also criticised BJP, and alleged that in Haryana, under the cover of darkness at night, the BJP "tried to murder democracy" and indulge in "vote chori".
"The BJP just wants to seize power, but the Congress party's MLAs and vigilant workers did not allow the loot to happen and ensured victory for Karamvir Boudh Ji, who works for social justice," he said at the press conference in Delhi.