New Delhi: Allegations of “horse trading” of MLAs erupted as Rajya Sabha elections saw cross-voting in Bihar, Odisha and Haryana, with the Opposition Congress suspending three of its legislators in Odisha and warning some of its MLAs of strict action in Haryana.
The ruling NDA won all five Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar, three of the four in Odisha and one of the two seats that went to polls in Haryana. The NDA, in total, won nine, including one BJP-backed Independent in Odisha, of the 11 seats where elections were held on Monday, while the Congress and BJD got one seat each.
Overall, the ruling NDA alliance bagged 22 of the 37 seats of the Rajya Sabha that are falling vacant on April 2, which will help increase its tally to its maximum. While nine of BJP’s MPs are retiring next month, the party by itself has won 14 seats.
In the late-night counting for two seats in Haryana that went past midnight, BJP’s Sanjay Bhatia and Karamvir Singh Boudh of the Congress were elected to the Rajya Sabha, amid allegations of violation of vote secrecy by both sides.
It was a narrow win for Boudh over Independent candidate Satish Nandal (63), as cross-voting dented the otherwise comfortable position of the Congress for securing an easy victory.
Bhatia won the first seat comfortably, polling 39 first-preference votes. In the fight for the second seat, Boudh polled 28 votes, while Independent candidate Nandal got 16.
Five votes were later declared invalid -- four of the Congress and one of the BJP, officials said. INLD leaders Abhay Singh Chautala and Aditya Devi Lal said the party decided to abstain keeping in mind people’s sentiments.
Taking strict note of reports of cross-voting by its MLAs, the Congress said it will take action against such legislators.
“We are going to issue a show-cause notice to them,” party in-charge for Haryana, B K Hariprasad, told a news agency.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said, “Satish Nandal lost by just one vote (referring to the narrow difference). Five Congress MLAs cross-voted. Four of their votes were rejected.”
State Congress chief Rao Narender Singh told reporters, “Those who betrayed the Congress will face strict action.”
The leader of Opposition in the Haryana Assembly, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, told reporters that while he will not take names (of those who cross-voted), “people have understood”.