Rajya Sabha polls 'cross-voting': Haryana Congress panel to submit report to high command

Chandigarh: Haryana Congress' Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) will prepare a report and convey its decision to the party high command concerning the issue of alleged cross-voting by five party MLAs during last month's Rajya Sabha elections.

The committee, under the chairmanship of party leader Dharampal Malik, met at the Haryana Congress office here on Friday evening. The five MLAs are accused for cross-voting in favour of BJP-backed Independent candidate Satish Nandal and have been issued a show-cause notice by the Congress.

The notice was served for "anti-party activities by deliberately not casting a vote in favour of Congress' official candidate". Polling for the two Rajya Sabha seats in Haryana was held on March 16.

BJP's Sanjay Bhatia bagged one seat comfortably, while the Congress candidate, Karamvir Singh Boudh, secured the second seat in a close contest against Independent candidate Satish Nandal.

The alleged cross-voting had dented the otherwise comfortable position of the Congress for securing an easy victory. Four of the Congress' votes were also declared invalid during counting.

The party had named five legislators -- Naraingarh MLA Shalli Chaudhary, Sadhaura MLA Renu Bala, Punhana MLA Mohammad Illyas, Hathin MLA Mohammad Israil and Ratia legislator Jarnail Singh -- for defying the official line.

Chaudhary, Bala and Singh had later denied the allegations, stating that their names were being dragged into the controversy unnecessarily and maintained that they had voted for the party candidate.

Only Chaudhary, Bala and Jarnail Singh replied to the showcause notice, DAC chairman Malik told mediapersons after the meeting.

He said Chaudhary and Bala requested that the DAC give them a personal hearing on Friday. "They came, and we listened to what they had to say," he said.

"The DAC will finalise its report and convey the decision to the party high command, which will decide on further course of action," he added.

On the remaining two MLAs who have not replied to the notice, Malik said, "It means they have accepted the allegations against them."

Recently, Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda had said the five party legislators accused of cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls in Haryana should resign on moral grounds.

The former chief minister had said that more than the party, these five MLAs have betrayed the people who elected them.