Getting RS Poll Result Examined Legally: Congress Party's Ajay Maken After Defeat In Haryana

According to Election Commission officials, Congress candidate Ajay Maken did not get enough votes. The party said one of its MLAs cross-voted while the vote of an MLA was declared invalid.

New Delhi: Congress party leader Ajay Maken on Saturday said that the party is getting the Rajya Sabha poll result in Haryana "examined legally" after he lost to media baron Kartikeya Sharma following a recount. Earlier, Maken was believed to have received 30 votes. However, one vote was invalidated, according to Congress MLA BB Batra. In Haryana, BJP won both RS seats as the party's Krishan Lal Panwar and its backed independent candidate Kartikeya Sharma emerged victorious.

"We were ahead of Independent candidate in preference 1 result. We objected that 1 vote which was given to independent should be cancelled. But our vote was cancelled and their rejected vote was accepted. We're getting this examined legally," Ajay Maken said on RS poll result, as quoted by news agency ANI.

A high voltage drama ensued over allegations of violations of polling rules that delayed the counting of votes by more than seven hours. The counting of votes began past midnight and the results were announced after 2 am on Saturday.

According to Election Commission officials, Congress candidate Ajay Maken did not get enough votes. The party said one of its MLAs cross-voted while the vote of an MLA was declared invalid.

"Indeed, action must be taken against him because he went against the party..." Ajay Maken said on cross-voting by party MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi. 

Senior Congress leader and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda asserted that the party will take action against Bishnoi.

The BJP with 40 MLAs had nine more than the 31 first preference votes required for a straight win. The Congress has 31 MLAs but as previously mentioned one vote was disqualified while Bishnoi backed Kartikeya Sharma.

As per news agency PTI, Returning Officer RK Nandal informed that BJP's Krishan Panwar got 36 votes, while Kartikeya Sharma got 23 first preference votes and 6.6 transferred from the BJP, taking his tally to 29.6. It was a photo-finish as Maken got 29 votes, but lost on account of no second preference votes.

Replying to a poser on Kuldeep Bishnoi cross-voting, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said, "He voted listening to his inner conscience. I can say that he must have voted after being influenced by the policies and achievements of the Modi government. He did not bother what action the Congress will take...I congratulate him."

"The party will welcome him if he joins it," he added when asked if the BJP's doors are open to him, as quoted by PTI.

The Congress had shifted its MLAs to Raipur a week ago, fearing poaching of its legislators.

(With Agency Inputs)