Chandigarh: BJP’s Sanjay Bhatia and Congress occasion’s Karamvir Singh Boudh have been declared elected to 2 Rajya Sabha seats in keenly watched elections, officers mentioned.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, in a late-night press convention, congratulated each the leaders on their win.

Congress MLA and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda mentioned that his occasion nominee Boudh has gained.

“It’s our victory”, he mentioned whereas talking to reporters right here.

“This can be a victory of ‘Prajatantar’ and defeat of ‘vote chori’,” mentioned Hooda as he, together with different occasion leaders, confirmed victory indicators.

Hooda mentioned that from the start, one seat every belonged to Congress and the BJP.

However they tried for “vote theft” for the third candidate, Hooda alleged. He added that the conduct of the returning officer was partisan.

Boudh thanked the occasion management and Hooda for getting elected.

In the meantime, Haryana Minister Gaurav Gautam had additionally mentioned earlier that their occasion nominee Sanjay Bhatia had gained.

Officers mentioned 5 votes had been declared invalid — 4 of Congress and one of many BJP.

BJP’s Bhatia, Karamvir Singh Boudh of the Congress and Impartial candidate Satish Nandal had been within the fray for the 2 seats. The BJP backed Nandal, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 meeting polls as its nominee. The INLD’s two MLAs abstained from voting.

Talking to reporters, Bhatia claimed that 5 Congress MLAs did cross-vote.

Counting of votes, which had been to happen at 5 pm after voting ended at 4 pm, started following a delay of over 5 hours after the Congress and the BJP lodged their respective complaints of violation of vote secrecy.

Earlier than the voting ended, minister Krishan Kumar Bedi had advised reporters that the BJP had complained to the Election Fee pertaining to “violation of vote secrecy” of two Congress MLAs — Bharat Singh Beniwal from Ellenabad and Paramvir Singh from Tohana.

“Two Congress MLAs didn’t have their poll folded because it ought to have been, and violated the secrecy of their vote. We have now complained to the Election Fee,” Bedi mentioned.

Nonetheless, Congress chief Ashok Arora mentioned no criticism was filed on the time these legislators voted, claiming that it was intentionally filed after 4 pm.

He additional mentioned the Congress too filed a criticism towards senior BJP chief and minister Anil Vij, accusing him of violating vote secrecy.

Haryana Congress Rao Narender Singh had earlier known as the allegation of violation of vote secrecy towards his occasion MLAs mistaken and mentioned his candidate would win the election.

Congress candidate Karamvir Singh Boudh filed a criticism to the ECI towards the Returning Officer for his alleged partisan conduct.

Counting of votes began after the ECI gave a go-ahead on this regard, mentioned official sources.

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

The Congress MLAs who had been moved to Himachal Pradesh forward of the polling returned to town within the morning and exercised their vote.

Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had written to the Election Fee, alleging an try to intrude with the integrity of the Rajya Sabha election and in search of time for a celebration delegation to fulfill him.

In his letter, Kharge additionally hooked up a duplicate of the illustration submitted to ECI filed by occasion candidate Boudh.

“There’s a clear try to intrude with the integrity of the election, and it have to be stopped/ redressed by the ECI instantly. Moreover, no disqualification of our official voters/ votes forged could be allowed in what’s clearly a clear try to taint/derail the method,” the letter had mentioned.

“Given the time-sensitive nature of the matter, we request time instantly for a delegation led by Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, together with senior leaders from the occasion to fulfill your good self earlier than the declaration of the outcomes,” it mentioned.

Indian Nationwide Lok Dal, which has two members within the 90-member Haryana Meeting, had abstained from voting, with occasion leaders Abhay Singh Chautala and Aditya Devi Lal saying they’ve determined to make this resolution retaining in view the folks’s sentiments.

The BJP has 48 MLAs, the Congress has 37, the INLD has two MLAs, and three legislators are Independents within the 90-member Haryana meeting.

Thirty votes every are required for 2 candidates to make it to the Rajya Sabha from Haryana after the INLD abstained from voting.

The MLAs of the Congress, who had been moved to Himachal forward of the polling, returned to Chandigarh shortly after the polling commenced at 9 am.

Haryana minister Anil Vij, who had just lately fractured each his legs after a fall, arrived in a wheelchair to forged his vote.

Forward of the polling, the Congress had moved its MLAs to Kufri in Himachal on Friday.

Nandal’s candidature was proposed by three independents — Savitri Jindal, Rajesh Joon and Devender Kadyan — and 7 BJP MLAs.

The 2 Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana fell vacant as BJP members Kiran Choudhry and Ram Chander Jangra are set to finish their phrases on April 9.

Nandal had misplaced to Congress chief Hooda from the Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi constituency in Rohtak district within the 2019 meeting polls. Earlier than becoming a member of the BJP, he was additionally with the INLD.

BJP candidate Bhatia is a former Lok Sabha MP from Karnal.

Congress’s Boudh, a retired Haryana authorities worker, has been a Dalit activist who has raised points pertaining to the group on varied platforms.

At present, the coordinator of the Nationwide Scheduled Castes Division of the Congress, Boudh, is learnt to be the selection of occasion chief Rahul Gandhi. PTI SUN CHS VSD HIG HIG

This report is auto-generated from PTI information service. ThePrint holds no duty for its content material.