Voting for two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana concluded inside the state Assembly in Chandigarh on Monday, with polling held between 9 am and 4 pm. The counting of votes was scheduled for 5 pm but got delayed after both Congress and BJP raised objections over voting secrecy. A total of 88 legislators cast their votes during the polling process, including MLAs from the Congress, BJP and independent members. The INLD, led by Abhay Chautala, boycotted the voting as the party’s two MLAs did not turn up to exercise their franchise.
Ahead of the election, the Congress moved its MLAs to the hill state of Himachal Pradesh on Friday to prevent any possibility of cross-voting. The party has 37 members in the 90-member Haryana Assembly, which is enough to support its candidate, though the risk of cross-voting remained a concern.
For the contest, the Congress fielded Kamarvir Boudh, a prominent Scheduled Caste leader. The BJP nominated former Karnal Lok Sabha MP Sanjay Bhatia, who is considered a close confidant of former Haryana Chief Minister and Union Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
The entry of independent candidate Satish Nandal, who is also associated with the BJP, added intrigue to what initially appeared to be a straightforward contest. Three Independent MLAs — Savitri Jindal, Devender Kadyan, and Rajesh June — have reportedly extended their support to Nandal.
To win the election, a candidate requires the support of at least 31 MLAs. The Haryana Assembly has a total strength of 90 members, with the BJP holding 48 seats, the Congress 37 seats, the INLD 2 seats, and 3 seats held by Independents.
The final result is yet to be declared.
