Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi challenges defeat in RS poll through draw of lots

Vijay Arora

Shimla, April 6

Weeks after he lost the Rajya Sabha election from Himachal Pradesh, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Saturday approached the state high court, challenging the interpretation of draw of lots rules by the presiding officer after there was a tie in the poll.

BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan won the February 27 election through a draw of lots after both candidates secured 34 votes each. The person whose name was drawn in the draw of lots was declared the loser.

Singhvi, who was present before the court during the filing of his petition, claimed, “There is nothing in the law which compels an interpretation which requires that the person whose name is drawn in the draw of lots is a loser.”

Sources said the Conduct of Election Rules have a provision for the draw of lots for both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha elections. The key difference is that in the Rajya Sabha elections, the candidate whose slip is drawn loses the poll, whereas in the Lok Sabha, the candidate whose slip is drawn wins, they claimed.