Gurugram: The Haryana Congress, which got here near dropping the one Rajya Sabha seat it had focused, is now battling inner storms. The state’s appearing president has give up the social gathering and 5 MLAs are dealing with public discover for allegedly voting in opposition to the social gathering’s official candidate within the Rajya Sabha polls the day before today.
On Tuesday, Ram Kishan Gujjar, the sitting Speaker of the Haryana Meeting and former Parliamentary Secretary within the earlier Bhupinder Singh Hooda authorities, submitted his resignation to Social gathering President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Mr. Gujjar’s spouse Shari Chaudhary is a Congress MLA from Nalingar. Throughout voting on March 16, Chaudhary was seen leaving the meeting premises with him. Tarun BhandariCM Nayab Singh Saini’s political secretary, set tongues wagging in Chandigarh political circles.
At a press convention in Chandigarh, journalists named Shari Chaudhry together with the names of 4 different Congress members who’re suspected of voting in opposition to the invoice. Mr. Hooda didn’t affirm or deny the names. When reporters identified that the named folks had been conspicuously absent from the press convention regardless of the presence of different MPs, Mr Hooda stated:he isn’t there…”—and suspends the sentence.
The journalist completed it for him:the whole lot that is not there may be there(For individuals who had been absent) Huda smiled.
Requested about Gujjar’s resignation, Hooda gave a candid reply. She stated the resignation ought to have been made by the MLA himself and never by her husband.
Later in Delhi, MP Deepender Hooda advised reporters on the AICC headquarters that the social gathering excessive command has already began disciplinary proceedings in opposition to those that voted in opposition to the social gathering candidates and their names might be made public quickly.
Geeta Bukkal, a Congress MLA from Jhajjar who served as a minister within the Hooda authorities from 2005 to 2014, was extra blunt about Chaudhary’s function within the Rajya Sabha polls. “She was with me after we visited Himachal Pradesh, the place Congress MLAs had been staying in lodges to guard them from ‘poaching’. She was buzzing.”Ladi ladiFor a very long time. However…she dedicated disloyalty to the social gathering by voting for her rival,” she claimed.
The Print has contacted each Shalley Chaudhary and Ram Kishan Gujjar for remark. Chaudhary’s cellphone was switched off and the one who answered Gujjar’s name, figuring out himself as his brother, confirmed his resignation however stated he couldn’t touch upon the explanation.
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How Haryana Congress virtually scrapped it
Out of 90 MLAs in Haryana, two from INLD abstained from voting. The remaining 5 votes (4 from the Congress and one from the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering) had been declared invalid, with 5 Congress MLAs voting in favor of the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering. Unbiased candidate Satish Nandal rather than the social gathering’s official candidate Karanveer Budh.
This brings the variety of legitimate votes to 83. Below the only transferable vote system, the successful margin was 27.67 votes.
Sanjay Bhatia of the BJP comfortably crossed the brink with 39 first choice votes, with the excess going to Nandal. Mr. Boudo acquired 28 first choice votes. Nandal acquired 27.33 votes, together with 16 first-choice votes and Mr Bhatia’s surplus switch votes. The distinction between Nandal and Boud was simply 0.67 votes.
Notably, 4 out of the 5 Congress members suspected of voting for Nandal had participated within the social gathering’s “swarm” train in Himachal Pradesh within the three days main as much as the vote, and nonetheless managed to make contact with the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering-backed candidate.
As well as, the Gujjar Chowdhury household has private ties to the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering. Shari Chaudhary’s second daughter is married to Utkarsh Chaudhary, nephew of Union Minister of State Krishan Pal Gurjar.
Relationship with Nalingar and Gujjar’s authorized troubles
Nalingal has a singular backstory. It’s CM Saini’s residence floor. He received the seat in 2014 by defeating Ram Kishan Gujjar himself. Earlier than that, in 2005, Gujjar received the seat defeating candidates from INLD and BJP.
In 2009, Gujjar’s title got here up in reference to the suicide of a journalist in Nalingar. A court docket in March 2017 discovered him responsible of abetting the loss of life of journalist Pankaj Khanna and sentenced him to 4 years in jail. Nevertheless, the Punjab and Haryana Excessive Courtroom stayed the decision in opposition to Gujjar in Could of the identical 12 months.
The incident disqualified him from working within the 2019 parliamentary elections and led to his spouse, Shari Chaudhary, coming into electoral politics.
The Congress’ subsequent transfer, formal notification to the 5 MLAs and subsequent actions will check whether or not the social gathering excessive command is prepared to behave decisively or transfer on, resigning to a catastrophe that was narrowly averted.
(Edited by Amrutanshu Arora)
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