Congress Identifies Four MLAs in Haryana Rajya Sabha Cross-Voting Controversy
The Congress party on Wednesday publicly named four of its five legislators who are accused of cross-voting during the high-stakes March 16 Rajya Sabha elections in Haryana. The identified lawmakers are Shalley Chaudhary, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Israel, and Renu Bala. This announcement comes amidst intense political drama and internal party strife.
Details of the Accused Legislators
Shalley Chaudhary is a two-time MLA representing the Naraingarh constituency. Mohammad Ilyas has been elected three times from Punahana, while Mohammad Israel serves as the MLA from Hathin. Renu Bala is a two-time legislator from Sadhaura. Notably, both Shalley Chaudhary and Renu Bala hail from the Ambala district and are believed to have close ties to a senior woman Congress leader.
Disciplinary Action Initiated
B K Hariprasad, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and in-charge of Haryana affairs, confirmed in New Delhi that a party disciplinary committee, chaired by Dharampal Malik, will issue show-cause notices to these four MLAs. "Further action will be taken on the basis of its report," Hariprasad stated. This move follows the resignation of Haryana Congress working president Ram Kishan Gujjar, who is Shalley Chaudhary's husband, after a warning from Congress Legislative Party leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Election Day Drama and Invalid Votes
The Rajya Sabha election was marked by significant suspense and irregularities. Apart from the alleged cross-voting, four Congress votes were declared invalid, delaying the final results until 1:16 am on Tuesday. The two Haryana seats were ultimately won by BJP's Sanjay Bhatia, a former Lok Sabha MP, and Congress's Karamveer Boudh. Hariprasad, along with co-in-charge Jitender Baghel, represented the party high command on the Assembly premises during the election.
Historical Parallels and Ongoing Mystery
Hariprasad noted that the pattern of invalid votes mirrored the controversial 2016 Rajya Sabha election, infamous for the "ink gate" scandal. In that instance, 14 Congress votes were invalidated, leading to media baron Subhash Chandra's victory over the joint INLD-Congress candidate R K Anand. Allegations at the time suggested a clandestine swap of the official violet sketch pen used to mark ballots, aimed at invalidating opposition votes.
Suspense continues to surround the identity of the fifth Congress MLA accused of cross-voting. Sources indicate that both the state unit and the party high command are allegedly "protecting" this lawmaker, adding to the internal tensions.
Protests and Internal Dissent
Earlier in the day, two Congress MLAs, Gokula Setia from Sirsa and Manju Chaudhary from Nangal Chaudhary, staged a dharna outside the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee office in Chandigarh. They demanded the public disclosure of all five legislators who allegedly cross-voted in favor of the BJP-supported candidate. Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda intervened, pacifying the protesters and escorting them to the assembly session.
Hariprasad and Hooda, acting as authorized agents, personally reviewed the ballot papers. The cross-voting allegations have exposed deep fissures within the Haryana Congress, prompting calls for accountability and disciplinary measures as the party grapples with this electoral setback.
