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Haryana Congress leaders meet governor, cite Rajya Sabha poll ‘irregularities’
Opposition party delegation submits memorandum, claims BJP misused machinery and engaged in horse-trading to favour independent candidate.
Haryana leader of the opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and members of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) met governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh in Chandigarh on Thursday, alleging “serious irregularities” in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections.
In a memorandum, the Congress leadership termed the electoral process a “mockery of democracy”, claiming that free and fair norms were systematically undermined during both polling and counting.
The controversy follows a high-drama midnight finish earlier this week. While the 90-member assembly saw the BJP holding 48 seats and Congress 37, the contest became a flashpoint after the BJP-backed independent candidate, Satish Nandal, entered the fray. The opposition argued that Nandal’s candidacy was a calculated move to facilitate “vote theft” despite him lacking the requisite numbers for a victory.
The letter to the governor accused the ruling party of employing political pressure and misusing state machinery to bridge the gap.
Specific criticism was directed at returning officer Pankaj Aggarwal. The Congress alleged that valid objections raised by their polling agents were ignored while five ballots, including four from the Congress, were declared invalid.
Seeking the governor’s intervention, the CLP demanded disciplinary action against the officer for his “partisan conduct”.
Hooda described the final result, which saw Congress candidate Karamvir Singh Boudh secure a seat by a whisker, as a “victory for democracy”. He asserted that while the BJP attempted to snatch the seat through “manipulative tactics” and cross-voting by five party MLAs, the mandate was ultimately protected.
“The issue of vote theft we raised has been proven. This is a victory of the people’s trust over power,” Hooda said.
