The elections to two Rajya Sabha seats in Haryana concluded with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress securing one seat each, following a closely watched contest marked by allegations of voting irregularities and cross-voting.
BJP candidate Sanjay Bhatia and Congress nominee Karamvir Singh Boudh were declared elected after a prolonged delay in the counting process. The counting, originally scheduled to begin at 5 pm after voting concluded at 4 pm, was delayed by more than five hours due to complaints filed by both parties over alleged violations of ballot secrecy.
The election witnessed a three-cornered contest involving BJP’s Bhatia, Congress’s Boudh, and Independent candidate Satish Nandal, who was backed by sections of the BJP.
Political Reactions
Nayab Singh Saini, Chief Minister of Haryana, congratulated both winning candidates, describing the election as “interesting,” while criticising the Congress for relocating its MLAs to Himachal Pradesh ahead of the vote.
He accused the Congress of lacking confidence in its legislators and alleged that party leaders had taken extraordinary measures to prevent cross-voting. Saini also criticised the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) for abstaining from voting, claiming the party had indirectly supported the Congress.
Dispute Over Vote Secrecy
The election was overshadowed by a controversy over alleged violations of vote secrecy. Both the BJP and Congress lodged complaints with the Election Commission of India, accusing each other’s MLAs of improperly handling ballot papers.
BJP leaders alleged that two Congress MLAs failed to fold their ballots correctly, thereby compromising vote secrecy. In response, the Congress rejected the claims and filed a counter-complaint, accusing senior BJP leader Anil Vij of a similar violation.
Congress leader and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda described his party’s victory as a “triumph of democracy,” alleging attempts to manipulate votes in favour of a third candidate. He also criticised the conduct of the returning officer, terming it partisan.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Sanjay Bhatia claimed that at least five Congress MLAs had cross-voted during the election.
Officials confirmed that a total of five votes were declared invalid, including four from Congress MLAs and one from the BJP.
Electoral Context
The Haryana Assembly has a strength of 90 members, with the BJP holding 48 seats, the Congress 37, the INLD two, and three Independents. The INLD chose to abstain from the voting process, citing public sentiment.
The two Rajya Sabha seats became vacant following the completion of the terms of BJP members Kiran Choudhry and Ram Chander Jangra on April 9.
The results reflect a continuation of the political balance in the state, even as the contentious nature of the polling process has raised fresh questions about electoral conduct and adherence to voting norms.
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