New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has officially approached the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging a "clear attempt to interfere with the integrity" of the Rajya Sabha elections in Haryana. In an urgent letter, Kharge described the situation as a "clear attempt to derail the process" and demanded immediate redressal before the declaration of results.
 

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The Congress chief warned that no "disqualification of our legitimate voters/votes cast" can be allowed. He has requested an urgent meeting for a delegation led by Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi to address the matter.

High-stakes battle in Haryana

The election for the two vacant Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana has turned into a high-tension triangular contest. The ruling BJP has fielded former MP Sanjay Bhatia, while the Congress has nominated Karamvir Singh Boudh, a former bureaucrat. The race was complicated by the entry of Satish Nandal, a BJP-backed Independent candidate.

While the Congress theoretically has the 31 votes required for one seat with its 37 MLAs, the party remains on high alert due to the state's history of ballot-related controversies.

History of disputed ballots

The Congress’s sharp reaction is rooted in past electoral setbacks in Haryana. In 2016, 14 Congress votes were disqualified for using an "unapproved pen”. In 2022, senior leader Ajay Maken lost after a single vote was invalidated on technical grounds. To prevent a repeat, the Congress moved 30 of its 37 legislators to a resort in Himachal Pradesh last week, returning them to Chandigarh just hours before polling began this morning.

Demand for urgent intervention

In his communication, Kharge emphasised that the representation filed by the party’s candidate, Karamvir Singh Boudh, points to a coordinated effort to compromise the poll.

"There is a clear attempt to interfere with the integrity of the election and it must be stopped/ redressed by the ECI immediately," the letter stated. Kharge further asserted that the party would not allow any "disqualification of our legitimate voters" in what he termed a "clear attempt to derail" the democratic process.

(With ANI inputs)