Rajya Sabha polls: BJP’s Sanjay Bhatia, Congress’ Karamvir Boudh elected; Haryana CM congratulates

BJP's Sanjay Bhatia and Congress party's Karamvir Singh Boudh person been declared elected to 2 Rajya Sabha seats successful keenly watched elections arsenic developments unfolded implicit allegations of usurpation of ballot secrecy.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, successful a late-night property conference, congratulated some the leaders connected their win.

Calling the elections interesting, Mr. Saini slammed the Congress, accusing it of holding its MLAs captive and transferring them to antithetic places, referring to the shifting of Congress legislators from Himachal Pradesh.

"I person seen for the archetypal clip that Congress did not spot its MLAs", helium claimed.

The Congress is "finished", and it has "no future", Saini said.

The Chief Minister besides lashed retired astatine the INLD for abstaining from voting and said it acted arsenic a "B team" of the Congress.

The INLD indirectly supported the Congress, helium claimed.

Replying to a question connected the Independent candidate, Mr. Saini said, "How could they halt anyone from contesting the poll?" Counting of votes, which were to instrumentality spot astatine 5 p.m. aft voting ended astatine 4 pm, began pursuing a hold of implicit 5 hours aft the Congress and the BJP lodged their respective complaints of usurpation of ballot secrecy.

Congress MLA and erstwhile main curate Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that his enactment nominee Boudh has won.

"It is our victory", helium said portion speaking to reporters here.

"This is simply a triumph of 'Prajatantar' and decision of 'vote chori'," said Mr. Hooda arsenic he, on with different enactment leaders, showed triumph signs.

Mr. Hooda said that from the beginning, 1 spot each belonged to Congress and the BJP.

But they tried for "vote theft" for the 3rd candidate, Mr. Hooda alleged. He added that the behaviour of the returning serviceman was partisan.

Mr. Boudh thanked the enactment enactment and Mr. Hooda for getting elected.

Meanwhile, Haryana Minister Gaurav Gautam had besides said earlier that their enactment nominee Sanjay Bhatia had won.

Officials said 5 votes were declared invalid -- 4 of Congress and 1 of the BJP.

BJP's Bhatia, Karamvir Singh Boudh of the Congress and Independent campaigner Satish Nandal were successful the fray for the 2 seats. The BJP backed Nandal, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 assembly polls arsenic its nominee. The INLD's 2 MLAs abstained from voting.

Speaking to reporters, BJP's Bhatia claimed that 5 Congress MLAs did cross-vote.

Before the voting ended, curate Krishan Kumar Bedi had told reporters that the BJP had complained to the Election Commission pertaining to "violation of ballot secrecy" of 2 Congress MLAs — Bharat Singh Beniwal from Ellenabad and Paramvir Singh from Tohana.

"Two Congress MLAs did not person their ballot folded arsenic it should person been, and violated the secrecy of their vote. We person complained to the Election Commission," Mr. Bedi said.

However, Congress person Ashok Arora said nary ailment was filed astatine the clip these legislators voted, claiming that it was deliberately filed aft 4 pm.

He further said the Congress excessively filed a ailment against elder BJP person and curate Anil Vij, accusing him of violating ballot secrecy.

Haryana Congress Rao Narender Singh had earlier called the allegation of usurpation of ballot secrecy against his enactment MLAs incorrect and said his campaigner would triumph the election.

Congress campaigner Karamvir Singh Boudh filed a ailment to the ECI against the Returning Officer for his alleged partisan conduct.

Counting of votes started aft the ECI gave a go-ahead successful this regard, said authoritative sources.

Earlier, voting was held for the 2 seats connected Monday, with the Indian National Lok Dal, which has 2 legislators, abstaining from polling.

The Congress MLAs who were moved to Himachal Pradesh up of the polling returned to the metropolis successful the greeting and exercised their vote.

Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had written to the Election Commission, alleging an effort to interfere with the integrity of the Rajya Sabha predetermination and seeking clip for a enactment delegation to conscionable him.

In his letter, Mr. Kharge besides attached a transcript of the practice submitted to ECI filed by enactment campaigner Boudh.

"There is simply a wide effort to interfere with the integrity of the election, and it indispensable beryllium stopped/ redressed by the ECI immediately. Furthermore, nary disqualification of our morganatic voters/ votes formed tin beryllium allowed successful what is intelligibly a transparent effort to taint/derail the process," the missive had said.

"Given the time-sensitive quality of the matter, we petition clip instantly for a delegation led by Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, on with elder leaders from the enactment to conscionable your bully aforesaid earlier the declaration of the results," it said.

Indian National Lok Dal, which has 2 members successful the 90-member Haryana Assembly, had abstained from voting, with enactment leaders Abhay Singh Chautala and Aditya Devi Lal saying they person decided to marque this determination keeping successful presumption the people's sentiments.

The BJP has 48 MLAs, the Congress has 37, the INLD has 2 MLAs, and 3 legislators are Independents successful the 90-member Haryana Assembly.

The MLAs of the Congress, who had been moved to Himachal up of the polling, returned to Chandigarh soon aft the polling commenced astatine 9 am.

Haryana curate Anil Vij, who had precocious fractured some his legs aft a fall, arrived successful a wheelchair to formed his vote.

Ahead of the polling, the Congress had moved its MLAs to Kufri successful Himachal connected Friday.

Nandal's candidature was projected by 3 independents — Savitri Jindal, Rajesh Joon and Devender Kadyan — and 7 BJP MLAs.

The 2 Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana fell vacant arsenic BJP members Kiran Choudhry and Ram Chander Jangra are acceptable to implicit their presumption connected April 9.

Mr. Nandal had mislaid to Congress person Hooda from the Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi constituency successful Rohtak territory successful the 2019 assembly polls. Before joining the BJP, helium was besides with the INLD.

BJP campaigner Bhatia is simply a erstwhile Lok Sabha MP from Karnal.

Congress's Mr. Boudh, a retired Haryana authorities employee, has been a Dalit activistic who has raised issues pertaining to the assemblage connected assorted platforms.

Currently, the coordinator of the National Scheduled Castes Department of the Congress, Boudh, is learnt to beryllium the prime of enactment person Rahul Gandhi.