Singed by ink row in 2016 Rajya Sabha poll, Haryana Congress holds training session for legislators

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, June 7

Singed by rejected votes in the 2016 Rajya Sabha poll, leading to the victory of BJP-supported Subhash Chandra, the Congress seems to be taking no chances this time.

The party held a training session for its MLAs at Raipur’s Mayfair resort today where the procedure of Single Transferable Vote was discussed. The session was presided over by Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress Haryana in-charge Vivek Bansal and Gujarat’s Rajya Sabha MP ShaktiSinh Gohil. Hooda joined the MLAs today.

An MLA said that the party MLAs wouldn’t cast second-preference votes. They were told to put ‘1’ against the name of Congress candidate Ajay Maken while using the violet sketch pen provided by the Returning Officer.

No other pen or pencil or ball pen could be used. “No whip could be issued for the Rajya Sabha poll as anti-defection law is not applicable,” said a senior MLA.

There is an open ballot system in Rajya Sabha poll. The Supreme Court in its judgment dated August 22, 2006, in the matter of Kuldip Nayar vs Union of India and Ors observed that “the contention that the right of expression of the voter at an election for the Council of States is affected by open ballot is not tenable, as an elected MLA would not face any disqualification from the membership of the House for voting in a particular manner. He may at the most attract action from the political party to which he belongs.”

Instructions issued for Rajya Sabha voting by Returning Officer RK Nandal were also discussed during the session.

During the 2016 Rajya Sabha poll, 14 Congress votes were declared invalid. While one ballot paper was left unmarked, one was rejected as it was shown to another MLA and 12 ballots were marked with a pen other than that provided by the returning officer. It led to the victory of BJP-supported media baron Subhash Chandra.

“We were told that the ballot has to be shown to the authorised agent of the party,” said an MLA of the party. Showing the marked ballot to anyone other than the authorised agent will make the vote invalid in the Rajya Sabha poll. Not showing the ballot paper to the authorised agent will also render the vote invalid.

Gather at hotel: BJP tells MLAs

It is learnt that the BJP has called its MLAs and Independents to gather at a private hotel near Chandigarh at 4 pm on Wednesday.