Himachal BJP writes to EC, alleges whip issued by Congress is 'unethical'

New Delhi: Just two days ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, the BJP in Himachal Pradesh has written to the Election Commission (EC) against the Congress, alleging that the whip issued by the party is “unethical”.

In a letter to the Election Commission on February 25, the party’s candidate Harsh Mahajan alleges that the call for a whip is a violation of the conduct of Rajya Sabha elections. The Congress had issued a whip to its party’s MLAs on February 22.

The complaint was handed over to the Commission by state President Rajeev Bindal, chief spokesperson Randhir Sharma, and Mahajan.

“It is pertinent to mention here that (the) Election Commission has ruled that political parties cannot issue any whip, like they do in the Legislative Assembly, asking their MLAs to vote for a particular candidate."

"In Rajya Sabha elections as voters, MLAs retain their freedom to vote for a candidate of their choice. Such a whip is not only unethical but is against the conduct of the election to Rajya Sabha. It will affect the decision-making ability of the MLAs,” the letter states.

Mahajan said that the political parties cannot issue any direction or whip to their members to vote in a particular manner or not to vote at the election because that would then amount to “undue influence”.

While the Congress’s candidate is Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the BJP has fielded Mahajan, himself a former Congressman, forcing a contest and hoping that Mahajan’s old friends from the Congress will cross vote.