Rajya Sabha poll: Advani lauds EC move

Senior BJP leader LK Advani on Sunday welcomed the election commission's decision to scrap the Jharkhand Rajya Sabha polls after R2.15-crore was seized from a car belonging to the brother of an independent candidate.

Senior BJP leader LK Advani on Sunday welcomed the election commission's decision to scrap the Jharkhand Rajya Sabha polls after Rs 2.15-crore was seized from a car belonging to the brother of an independent candidate.

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Advani's reponse came a day after BJP Jharkhand in-charge Harendra Pratap and the party's ally JMM voiced their unease about the poll panel's decision. Congress state president and Rajya Sabha candidate Pradeep Balmuchu had also sought a review of the election.

Congratulating chief election commissioner SY Qureshi for the decision, Advani wrote, "Kudos to Dr SY Qureshi for scrapping this year's Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand."

He recalled that Babulal Marandi—a former BJP leader-—of the JVM (P), Sharad Yadav and Gurudas Das Gupta had voiced their apprehensions about horse-trading in the polls. He also said the car, seized by authorities, carried cash on behalf of one of the independent candidates—RK Agrawal.

“Two independent candidates had been proposed by several MLAs belonging to recognised political parties when these parties had themselves nominated their candidates,” he said.

Even Marandi’s complaint to the EC dated March 27 had said Agrawal’s “name was proposed and seconded by MLAs mostly belonging to the JMM”. However, Advani’s mention of Agrawal’s name would not be music to the ears of the JMM.

BJP in-charge for Jharkhand Harendra Pratap, who had on Saturday dubbed the EC move an overreaction, said on Sunday he was alright with the panel’s decision but added all previous Rajya Sabha polls in the state.