Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda demanded a probe including a forensic examination of the pens with which the votes were cast. (File photo)
Highlights
- Hooda demanded a probe including a forensic examination of the pens
- Both Congress and INLD have pointed fingers at each other
- Subhash Chandra defeated Independent candidate RK Anand
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda today said there was a "political conspiracy" to reject the votes of Congress lawmakers who voted for lawyer RK Anand in the Rajya Sabha elections in the state.
Mr Anand, supported by Om Prakash Chautala's Indian National Lok Dal or INLD, had contested against the BJP-backed media baron Subhash Chandra. Assured of support by 20 lawmakers, mainly from INLD, he needed 10 more votes to ensure a victory and was seeking support from the Congress.
"There was a conspiracy and of the 14 votes rejected, 12 votes were such that were cast in favor of Anand," Mr Hooda said at a press conference in Chandigarh, denying allegations that he and his supporters had sabotaged Mr Anand's election.
The Congress has said it will approach the Election Commission to order a re-poll in Haryana.
Sources said Mr Hooda didn't want to be seen siding with the INLD and had conveyed this to the party vice president, Rahul Gandhi. Another section was keen to ensure Mr Chandra's defeat, since he was backed by the BJP.
Last Friday, the Congress convened a meeting of their 17 legislators to sort out the differences. Mr Hooda not only arrived 30 minutes late, but displayed his political strength by coming in with 11 lawmakers in his support.
"At the meeting, we discussed all possibilities but then the party took a line to support Anand and everyone agreed," said senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad, who was appointed as the party's observer for the elections in the state.
The Congress has dismissed any hint of pressure or rebellion. "I was the agent of the Congress and had seen most of the votes. They were all cast in favour of Anand. This is a conspiracy hatched by the BJP-RSS," Mr Hariprasad told NDTV.
The Congress votes, he said, were rejected because the pen with which their lawmakers signed the ballot paper had a different ink.
INLD leader Dushyanta Chautala, however disagrees. He said Mr Hooda was under pressure from the BJP since the Central Bureau of Investigation was probing the various land deals done by his government.
"They can explain anything to their leadership but they are running away from CBI," said Dushyanta Chautala.