Ajay Maken blames Kiran Choudhry, Vivek Bansal for invalid vote in RS poll

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 18

Congress leader Ajay Maken today said the rejected vote in the Rajya Sabha poll that led to his defeat was of Tosham MLA Kiran Choudhry.

It's not possible

Both (Vivek) Bansal and (Kiran) Choudhry have to clarify who was at fault. It is not possible that both have committed a mistake. Ajay Maken, Congress Leader

He also took on the party’s authorised agent Vivek Bansal for claiming polling of 30 votes in his favour, whereas one ballot paper had a tick mark instead of “1” against his name. Maken was in Chandigarh for filing a petition against one of the votes that went to Independent candidate Kartikeya Sharma.

In the Rajya Sabha poll, a ballot paper has to be shown to the authorised agent for it to be counted as a valid vote. The lone invalid vote tilted the scale and led to Maken’s defeat.

Addressing mediapersons, Maken said it was clear that it was Kiran Choudhry’s vote that finally got rejected for having a tick mark. “Kiran Choudhry herself told that she had tick marked it. We checked the ballot paper too. She has to clarify whether she did it intentionally or it happened by mistake,” he said.

On the role of state incharge Vivek Bansal, he said, “He told us that there were 30 preference votes, while these were actually 29. It hurt us.” He said, “Both Bansal and Choudhry have to clarify who was at fault. It is not possible that both have committed a mistake.”

When contacted, Bansal replied, “It was a genuine mistake. How can one even assume that I would have done it intentionally?”

Choudhry said, “I sympathise with Maken as he has lost a number of elections. My leader knows what I am capable of doing. It is a conspiracy to blame me. They are trying to embroil me for the invalid vote.” She added it was the EC that had validated her vote.

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