Gujarat RS polls: EC accepts Congress's demand, invalidates votes of 2 MLAs

High drama was enacted at the Election Commission tonight over the delay in start of counting for the Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections after Congress approached the poll panel demanding cancellation of votes of its two MLAs for showing the ballots to BJP chief Amit Shah.

BJP delegation including Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal and RS Prasad arrive at Election Commission.

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday moved the Election Commission thrice demanding cancellation of votes of its two MLAs, who cross-voted in the Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections and allegedly showed the ballots to BJP leaders against the rules. The BJP also knocked the doors of the poll panel insisting that counting be taken up immediately. Live Updates on Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections:

• EC accepts Congress's demand, invalidates votes of 2 MLAs

EC accepts Congress's demand, declares votes of MLAs Bhola Bhai Gohil and Raghav Bhai Patel as invalid pic.twitter.com/0M4YgccWRi

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) August 8, 2017

• Election Commission will convey order on counting of votes to Returning Officer at 11.30 pm

Why is BJP bringing army of Defense/Finance Min, Power Min, Petroleum Min & Commerce Min? It means they want to suppress truth: Surjewala pic.twitter.com/vIU1UXzl1C — ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2017

• With all respect want to tell BJP that this is the war of truth, lies cannot prevail on Gandhi Ji's land: RS Surjewala
• We want electoral process to be completed and counting to begin: Nirmala Sitharaman at EC
• We are confident about EC's judgement, they'll be giving opining on counting soon: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
• Congress cannot put undue pressure on EC. If Congress party goes to EC the third time, so will we: Ravi Shankar Prasad
• Congress leaders including RPN Singh and Randeep Surjewala going to the Election Commission for the third time.
• There is enough evidence that the ballot paper were seen by ppl other than those authorized- P Chidambaram
• EC must reject these ballot papers as it did in Haryana in June 2016- P Chidambaram

We met EC and pointed out violation of election rule as ballot papers of 2 MLAs were seen by other than the authorised person:P Chidambaram — ABP News (@abpnewstv) August 8, 2017

• Delhi: BJP delegation including Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal & RS Prasad arrive at Election Commission again
• One of our MLAs had mistakenly showed his vote in Haryana&his vote was rejected,same was done in Gujarat so should be rejected: Anand Sharma

• Complaint was filed immediately but returning officer didn't do anything: Ahmed Patel, Congress.
• Requested EC to reject Congress's plea as once votes are cast then nothing can be done,process was fair: RS Prasad,Union Minister
• Congress has been leveling baseless allegations,they did not protest about it in morning: RS Prasad,Union Minister after meeting EC
• According to PTI, Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala and RPN Singh also produced a video of the poll proceedings to the commission and demanded that votes of Bholabhai Gohil and Raghavjibhai Patel be cancelled as per law since they violated the "secrecy of ballot".
• Congress leaders including Anand Sharma and Randeep Surjewala will go to the Election Commission again shortly
• BJP delegation including union ministers MA Naqvi, Piyush Goyal and Dharmendra Pradhan reach Election Commission

Talking to reporters after petitioning the Election Commission, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said the two MLAs had shown their votes after marking them to BJP president Amit Shah, union Minister Smriti Irani and former Congress MLA who switched to BJP Balwantsinh Rajput - all candidates in the election - against the conduct of election rules. "The votes cannot be accepted at any cost. They should be rejected. The entire event has been recorded in video. We have requested the Election Commission to reject the votes," Surjewala said. He cited the example of a Rajya Sabha election in which he claimed that the vote of the Congress Legislature Party leader was cancelled on similar grounds. Party leader R.P.N. Singh, who was also part of the Congress delegation, said the Election Commission had told them that they will seek a report from the returning officer. "We have demanded that the election should be stopped. The Election Commission should ask for the video and take a decision after examining it," he said. "We have faith that the Election Commission will act to save democracy," he added. (With IANS inputs)